A new partnership aims to bring fresh, local produce to those in need in central Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin PureGrow Project: A Sustainable Growth Initiative was launched at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Marshfield, according to a community announcement. The collaboration involves the university, Marshfield Clinic region of Sanford Health and Fork Farms.

Students at Oilfields High School in Diamond Valley, Alta., are getting their hands dirty learning about vertical farming.

“I enjoy the hands-on experience we get—a hands-on environment where we’re learning how to do stuff that we don’t get to learn everywhere else,” said Taeyo Shipman, a student working on the vertical farm.

By introducing students to hydroponics and aquaponics, the lab has the ability to teach that food production doesn’t have to rely on large carbon footprints associated with fuel and long-distance transportation.

Kassandra Clint, student lab manager, monitors the hydroponics system daily to ensure proper pH and nutrient levels.

Agrihome SG has partnered with The Eton Academy at Mountbatten to bring several aeroponic farms to their new center.

This partnership highlights how seamlessly sustainability and hands-on learning can blend. Students now get to enjoy fresh greens straight from the farm, with zero food waste and a fun way to learn about where their food comes from.

Hydroponics is a method for growing food in a water-based solution rich in nutrients, rather than using soil. This allows growers to plant more crops in a smaller area, saving land and water, and enabling plants to grow up to 50% faster than in traditional farming methods.

Hofstra University unveiled plans to install a Freight Farms Greenery™ S hydroponic container farm on its North Campus as part of the University’s ongoing “Pride Farm” sustainability initiatives. The container farm is supported by New York State Senator Siela A. Bynoe.

Chris Regini is a New York State Master Teacher that holds a degree in physics from the University of Connecticut. He has spent 20 years in the Half Hollow Hills school district, where he uses hydroponic farming to teach students about horticulture, AgTech, and engineering.

We recently spoke with Chris to learn about his journey with CEA and his experiences bringing AgTech into the classroom.

Lettuce grows in one of Auburn University's six AmplifiedAg vertical units. The university's FoodU program recently added four units to the two already in use. (contributed)

The Auburn University College of Agriculture and Campus Dining recently added four new container farms to its vertical farming operation. The four new farms, outfitted in shipping containers, are from AmplifiedAg, a leader in indoor agriculture.

College-in-the-Woods (CIW) Dining Hall is not only surrounded by greenery on the outside, but also grows fresh leafy greens inside the building. Throughout the dining area, glowing white columns sprout herbs, lettuce and more, giving diners a first-hand look at sustainability in action at Binghamton University.

Three Tower Gardens were planted at CIW in fall 2024 after the Binghamton University Dining Services (BUDS) team learned about the hydroponic towers and collaborated with the University to bring them on-site.

Students at a New Haven magnet school are learning more than just standard classroom lessons - they're getting hands-on business, science and agricultural experience through the Green Thumbs program at High School in the Community. 

Currently, students in the program are using their skills to grow a mushroom and lettuce farm in a 40-foot storage container. 

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!

Inside Oak Meadows Elementary, school leaders have launched a program to hydroponically grow fresh lettuce and basil as part of the school district’s Farm to School initiative.

To grow vegetables hydroponically, plants grow in nutrient-rich water instead of soil.

When the first containers of Indoor Vertical.Farm's pilot system arrived in Bridgetown earlier this year, it marked the beginning of a new phase for controlled environment agriculture in the Caribbean. The project, in partnership with the Government of Barbados, introduces a fully off-grid, vertical farming installation designed for research, training, and education.

At Brookville Elementary, the freshest lettuce isn’t grown in a garden bed—it’s grown indoors, without even touching soil.

This innovative approach is thanks to a grant written by Kain Kennemuth, a second-year science teacher, who brought a fully functioning hydroponics system, called the Flex Farm, to the classroom.

Through the opening of Peace Produce at William Peace University, Pacer Dining is now serving lettuce grown right on campus.

Peace Produce, the campus’s new hydroponic farm, launched on Sept. 5 with a celebration that included samples of the farm’s fresh lettuce.

“The salads were served with two unique salad dressings prepared by Chef James Pelli,” Pacer Dining Marketing Coordinator Alex Strickler said.

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. 

The nutrition staff oversees the hydroponic program and works hand-in-hand with students, who are learning valuable skills in planting, monitoring nutrient and PH levels, and harvesting the lettuce used in their own school meals.

What is green and crunchy — and might help high schoolers unlock a future career?

The answer is all about educational partnerships. Virginia Western Community College has developed a 5-week hydroponics project for high school classrooms, using a hydroponics tower to grow Buttercrunch lettuce. A sensor creates graphical visualizations of data, and students interpret the data that has been collected over the project’s duration.