October 19, 2026
In a tiny coastal town, a school lunch salad bar is making colorful waves — and it’s about to get even brighter!
Ocosta School District, located in Westport, recently received a hydroponics tower grant from ESD 113’s Child Nutrition Cooperative, giving the 520-student district a 288-spot round tower that can grow almost 400 pounds of produce a year. The application was open to all Child Nutrition Cooperative members.
“The committee chose Ocosta School District after reading about their desire and passion to blend nutrition education and provide fresh produce to support the food services program,” said Meredith Arseneau, ESD 113’s Child Nutrition Cooperative supervisor.
Since Director Shana Bradley took over the food service department two years ago, after 14 years with Ocosta, the district has pursued more farm-to-school opportunities and scratch-made cooking.
The lunchrooms already feature a bright salad bar with colorful peppers, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, mini corn, and crispy cauliflower. Students can even choose a slice of cantaloupe with a sprinkle of Tajín, an example of culturally responsive food service, since nearly 31% of Ocosta students identify as Hispanic, and Tajín may be a staple outside of school. Receiving the grant is one more way Bradley and her team can make their lunches a little more homegrown.
The tower comes from Fork Farms, a mission-first agriculture technology company focused on hydroponics. Known for their work with schools and other community-based initiatives, the company provides ample resources, sample curriculum, and more to nutrition directors. An added bonus with the grant is that they also provide two years' worth of seeds for Ocosta to use.
“Salad mix is our number one priority,” Bradley said.
But salad mix is really just the start of what the tower can provide. It can also grow things like cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, strawberries, and snacking peppers — all perfect lunchtime staples.
Beyond the obvious cost benefit of reducing produce orders, Bradley is most excited about the rich learning opportunity she'll be able to offer Ocosta students. She plans to recruit the elementary highly capable class to assist her in the process. They will help her plant seeds, transfer starts, measure progress and growth, and harvest up to 20 pounds of leafy greens a month, while also learning key agricultural lessons like “Where does food come from?” and how hydroponics systems work.
“The hydroponic tower would provide a hands-on learning experience that connects students to where their food comes from while promoting healthy eating habits,” said Bradley in her application. “Our vision is to create a sustainable growing program that allows students and staff to observe and participate in the growing process from seed to harvest.”
Bradley and her staff have already dabbled in hydroponics and have an herb garden in their elementary school kitchen that students can see when they receive lunch. They plan to use fresh herbs when they can, but also dry and preserve them for future use. The grant provides a much larger tower, which will be housed in a spare classroom space near Bradley’s office. She plans to document the process and growth, creating posters and posting photos to keep the whole school community involved.
Bradley couldn’t do this exciting work alone. She credits much of her success in implementing scratch cooking and fresh foods to her staff, who recently enthusiastically engaged in a hands-on learning experience at Grays Harbor College focused on this work, and ESD 113’s Child Nutrition Cooperative.
“I am so blessed to have Meredith on board last year and this year. And our program has grown so much,” Bradley said. Arseneau brought the grant to Bradley’s attention and works with her to find other grant opportunities — like a smoothie grant they were just awarded! — and create scratch-based recipes that follow the strictly defined nutritional guidelines.
“I’ve had plenty of questions that I just need help with, and you know what? We’ve worked through them all.”
This project will be ongoing. The grant asks the Ocosta team to provide nutritional education updates and photos quarterly. ESD 113 will be checking back in and posting updates too.
The tower is assembled, and growing material and seeds have been unpacked — and this is just the beginning. What’s next will be a great agricultural experience, learning and growing alongside produce, and hopefully a deliciously crisp, homegrown salad.
This October, the ESD 113 Board of Directors is recognizing Ocosta School District and their child nutrition work through the Celebrations initiative. Each month, the ESD 113 Board of Directors selects a person, group, or organization to celebrate for the great work they do in our region. Shana Bradley, Superintendent Heather Sweet, and the child nutrition team will be recognized.