By Blake Jackson
At Winona Senior High School in Minnesota, sophomore Miriam Jackson manages six hydroponic Flex Farms that grow up to 200 pounds of lettuce each month. These fresh greens are served in school lunches for over 800 students, making school meals more nutritious and local.
Developed by Wisconsin-based Fork Farms, Flex Farms are indoor hydroponic systems designed for small spaces like schools. Jackson handles seed germination, water monitoring, and pH balancing for the crops, mostly leafy greens like iceberg lettuce. While harvest days require extra help, she manages most tasks independently, spending nearly 15 hours a week on the project.
“They really like it. When we serve our Fork Farms lettuce, the students are actually building more salads,” said Jennifer Walters, school nutrition director for the district. “As a dietitian, it makes me happy that they’re getting local produce.” Before expanding the program, the school paid $20 per pound for greens. Now, it grows its own using $5,000 Flex Farm units, partially funded by Minnesota’s Urban Agriculture Grant.
Walters hopes to bring Flex Farms to the district’s middle school, encouraging students to engage with food production. Jackson, once new to agriculture, now sees a future in hydroponic farming. She says it’s helped her understand plant science and where food comes from.
Fork Farms CEO Alex Tyink created Flex Farms to empower communities with fresh, affordable food. The company is also expanding to larger-scale systems called Flex Acre, resembling data centers to meet future food needs. Tyink believes local food systems like those in schools will shape how communities feed themselves in the years ahead, with education at the heart of this transformation.
Photo Credit: lettuce-wikimedia-creative-commons-jeremy-bronson
Categories: Wisconsin, Business, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables