The mini hydroponics farm in Southern University's cafeteria is small but mighty. About 10 paces away, it feeds the salad bar that's frequented by students, staff and visitors. Hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil, is what the Southern University Ag Center uses to grow fresh produce in tiny spaces while teaching new generations about nutrition, plant cycles and space utilization.
Stephanie Elwood, a horticulture specialist at Southern University, oversees the mini farm along with graduate student Gerrick Breaux to grow microgreens, parsley, basil, kale and lettuce.
"They harvest the microgreens or the lettuce, and they put it 10 feet away right here into the salad bar," Elwood said. "You can't get any fresher than that."
As Breaux pursues his doctorate in toxicology at the university, he visits the cafeteria as many as three to four times a week to harvest and feed the plants. He's been at it for two years. He cuts the herbs and hands them directly to the chef, who uses them wherever needed. He gives the lettuce and kale to an employee in the kitchen who washes it and places it on the salad bar.
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