USA - WYOMING: From Schoolhouse to Greenhouse: Urban Farm Takes Root in North Casper
February 4, 2026
After North Casper Elementary was mothballed, the Casper Housing Authority gave it new life. Our Abby Uhl shows us how the old school has been transformed into an urban farm in a food desert.
After North Casper Elementary School closed its doors, the Casper Housing Authority bought the building and made a promise to the school district: to turn it into something positive. That's how Urban Thistle Farm was born, and its mission is to alleviate the food desert in north Casper.
e.
“The school closed in 2014 or 2015, and so it has been empty. Over the past year, we've been breathing new life into it. We’ve been painting murals, doing a lot of work inside and outside… building infrastructure, planting seeds, and just really finding ways to use this space intentionally,” said Jamie Purcell, farm manager at Urban Thistle.
North Casper is considered a food desert, which means access to fresh and healthy food is difficult.
“If you're in North Casper, it's a mile to three miles away to the closest grocery store. There's just not a lot of food to access in this neighborhood. It's also not the most walkable once you get out of the neighborhood to try to get to a grocery store,” Purcell explained.
The farm sits on the old North Casper Elementary grounds, which is around 2 acres. The school building is 20,000 square feet. This space is used to grow food both inside and outside.
“Right now we've got chard, kale, and lettuce. We've got herbs, we've got microgreens, house plants, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. That's all happening right now in February in Wyoming,” she said.
The farm grows food inside by utilizing hydroponics, a system that grows food through water. They have grow towers set up that utilize water and nutrients to grow plants. They’ve also found numerous ways to utilize the outdoor space.
Urban Thistle Hydroponics
“Outside in the garden, you'll see some geo-domes that were built through UW extension, with volunteers and AmeriCorps teams. You'll see tires that we use as planters. You'll also see mineral tubs. You'll see garden beds that were built from wood,” she said.
However, their mission goes beyond food.
“We're really trying to create a place in the middle of the neighborhood that is not just about food, but is a community gathering space where we have job training and skills training. We're building a woodshop where we can do some workshops,” said Purcell.
Additionally, they want to set an example for those looking to garden.
“What we try to do here is reduce, reuse, recycle, upcycle, and demonstrate to the community that food access isn't as scary or hard to grow a garden as you might think it might be.”
They are also encouraging the community to get involved with the farm.
“If you have plant cuttings or you're cleaning out your garden and you're tired of looking at all of your raspberries or strawberries, those are all things that we would be happy to put here,” she said.
Urban Thistle will hold its first farmers' market in downtown Casper on February 7 from 9 to 1.
Connect with Us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourwyominglink
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourwyominglink
Want to Share Something with Our Team?