Purdue University Student Farm Spotlight: Growing Container Edition
November 7, 2025
This week’s spotlight are the students that work in the growing containers. They are fantastic and really help make sure those lettuce heads, salad greens, and basil keep making it into the bags every week!
My name is Alison Fung and I am a senior in Agricultural Engineering. At the container farm, I normally do tasks such as harvesting the crops, seeding the trays, and transplanting the seedlings. Over the summer, I participated in a project to compare different cilantro varieties and how well they grew in the farm. SO, between my tasks, I was also counting and recording things like cilantro plant leaf count and height.
Hello! My name is Kenzie Sandusky, and I’m a senior+ studying horticulture, (production and marketing ) at Purdue University! During my time at the container farms, I have several tasks to oversee in order to ensure a plentiful harvest for the CSA! Some of these tasks include seeding, transplanting, trimming, harvesting, preparing nutrients, checking sensors, and general maintenance cleaning in order to keep the operation running! My favorite activities include trimming and harvesting the plants for distribution to the community!
My name is Jorden LaBoyteaux. I have been working in the container farm for a bit now and have gained a lot of experience working in controlled environment ag. At the containers there are a lot of things to consider and keep an eye on: making sure filters are clean and nutrient levels are at a good level while transplanting, seeding and harvesting. I really like working here because no matter what time of year it is it’s always a good temperature there and you don’t have to work long hours in the heat or cold. Seeding is my favorite part because it is very organizational and very fun! I really like that we grow a wide variety of things including head lettuce and different types of herbs. The most interesting thing we have grown are carrots. They become really round and almost like spheres, unlike any kind of carrot I’ve ever seen before. Overall, this job is very fun and lets you learn about closed environment ag in way you may not get to experience outside of Purdue.
I’m Kate Seida, a junior in plant genetics, breeding, and biotechnology with minors in plant pathology and data-driven agriculture. Because I love pathology, I observe for disease and pests at the container farm. I also seed, transplant, and harvest as needed.
My name is Arthur Ruano and I am majoring in computer science. I have a minor in horticulture and organizational leadership and a passion for plants. Over the summer I helped with seeding, harvesting, cleaning, and transplanting for the container farms. I also had the opportunity to design and 3D print a drip tray for the panels and light blockers for the bottom troughs.
I am Isaac Damer, a senior studying Horticulture, concentrating in Plant Science. I have worked in the Overbeck CEA Facilities for over a year, and I love working in the controlled agriculture space and learning how technology can boost plant production. This past summer I primarily worked on seeding, transplanting, and harvesting produce within the farms. I have particularly enjoyed learning about pest scouting and management this fall semester.