An Indiana school has been growing lettuce using hydroponics, and it's been a hit with salad lovers of all ages. But now a new grant is helping them take their operation to the next level.

Inside a climate-controlled shipping container, rows of fresh lettuce grow under LED lights. For Marcus Carpenter ’00, the crop represents more than a novel way to grow food. He sees it as part of a larger effort to solve a problem he believes the American food system has overlooked.  

Current growing equipment consists of racks, grow lights, and hydroponic systems. Pictured left to right are students Reecelyn Rada, Jacob Haase, and Hannah Davis.

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Research Institute Health & Wellness Center expanded its hydroponic gardening efforts this summer by equipping area teachers with the tools and knowledge to bring hydroponics directly into their classrooms.

This summer, the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) Research Institute Health & Wellness Center (RIHWC) expanded its hydroponic gardening efforts by equipping area teachers with the tools and knowledge to bring hydroponics directly into their classrooms.

As agriculture adapts to climate change, resource constraints, and growing food demand, universities are rethinking how they prepare students for careers in the industry. While traditional fieldwork remains valuable, it no longer reflects the technologies transforming commercial food production.

As agricultural technology expands, one challenge remains: a shortage of workers to operate modern farming systems. On Thursday, May 28, participants in the University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s latest Hydroponic Crop Production Certificate Course will graduate as part of a growing effort to build Nevada’s future agriculture workforce through hydroponics education.