USA - CALIFORNIA: CPP’s New Vertical Farm Grows Innovation, Sustainability and Student Learning
A new kind of farm has sprouted at Cal Poly Pomona — one that grows upward and indoors.
The first-ever vertical farming facility on campus is housed in a high-tech container built by Freight Farms that was donated to CPP through a partnership with the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Southern California Edison (SCE). The project brings hands-on research and sustainable food production together in one compact, climate-controlled system.
Inside the 8 by 40-foot shipping container, that can hold up to can hold up to 8,800 plants, rows of floor-to-ceiling LED-lit panels nurture leafy greens and herbs — lettuce varieties, Thai and Italian basil, mint, thyme, baby bok choy, mizuna and tatsoi — grown hydroponically with precision-controlled water and nutrient delivery. The system uses about 5 gallons of water a day and can produce 2 to 6 tons of food annually, the equivalent of annual production on 2 acres of farmland, using a fraction of the water required daily for traditional farming!
The vertical farm is a living classroom for students in the Huntley College of Agriculture. Under the guidance of Nursery Manager Kelsey Swayze, students mix fertilizers, monitor plant growth, harvest crops and follow food safety protocols. Several courses have already incorporated the facility into their curriculum, including ABM 2010: Fundamentals of Agribusiness, where students conduct a market analysis and feasibility study for new crops. Sustainable Agriculture classes have toured the farm, and College Corps Fellows have supported operations.
“This project is a perfect example of Become by Doing,” Swayze said. “Students are gaining experience in sustainable food production while helping feed our campus community.”
The vertical farm’s impact already extends beyond the classroom. The college donated its first harvest of 29 packages of lettuce to the Poly Pantry, with plans to donate twice monthly and to the Pomona Free Farm Stand, a community food program. It also supplies fresh, student-grown produce to the Farm Store, Dining Services, Centerpointe, campus catering and Innovation Brew Works, which uses the mint for its cucumber-mint seltzer and craft beer.
Next month, the vertical farm will take part in Bronco Launchpad, CPP’s annual crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for educational workshops and produce donations to the Poly Pantry.
“Thanks to EPRI and SCE’s generosity, our students have access to industry-level technology that supports both education and sustainability,” Swayze said.
In addition to donating the container, EPRI and Southern California Edison are using the vertical farm to gather real-time data on resource efficiency — tracking factors such as energy use, fertilizer input, and crop yield. This data will help researchers and industry partners evaluate how vertical farming can reduce environmental impact while supporting reliable, local food production.