At Lander Valley High School in Lander, Wyoming, students are learning firsthand what it means to grow real food—and seeing the results served on their lunch trays.
This winter, students in a freshman agriculture class harvested more than 30 pounds of fresh lettuce grown entirely inside their classroom using a Flex Farm from Fork Farms. Within a day of harvest, the greens were delivered to the school cafeteria and served in lunches for both students and teachers—creating a true farm-to-table loop inside the school walls.
The program is led by Eric Watson, Lander Valley High School’s agriculture teacher. With 18 years of experience working in agriculture, much of it with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Watson is building an ag program centered on hands-on, real-world learning, which fits in perfectly with the Flex Farm and its associated free curriculum. You can read more about what is going on in Lander Valley’s ag classes in this article from County 10 - Lettuce to lunch line at Lander Valley High.
Using hydroponics, students can grow lettuce in about a third of the time it would take in soil. Plants receive consistent light, water, and stable classroom temperatures— eliminating many of the variables that come with outdoor growing in Wyoming’s climate. The result is deep green, healthy heads of lettuce ready for harvest every month.
Learning From Seed to Harvest
The Flex Farm resets roughly every 30 days, giving students multiple opportunities throughout the school year to seed, monitor, and harvest crops. Responsibilities rotate across grade levels at Lander Valley, ensuring that freshmen through seniors participate in every stage of the growing process.
For many students, watching the lettuce grow so quickly has been eye-opening. After returning from winter break, they were shocked by how much the plants had grown in just a couple of weeks.
Once harvested, the lettuce is turned over to the school’s food service team and transformed into fresh salads for staff and students.
The Flex Farm is just one part of a broader agriculture program that emphasizes practical, transferable skills. Earlier this year, students at Lander Valley learned to operate tractors and helped build fencing on 60 acres of school district–owned land. They’ve also gained hands-on experience with welding, shop tools, and construction projects. Students say that’s what sets the class apart.
Growing What’s Next
Watson has ambitious plans for the future of the agriculture program, including expanding outdoor learning opportunities and adding a livestock component through a partnership with Central Wyoming College. His long-term vision is clear: connect students to agriculture in meaningful, tangible ways.
With another crop already underway and seedlings prepped for the next harvest in the Flex Farm, the cycle continues—fresh food grown by students, for students.
At Fork Farms, we’re proud to support partners like Lander Valley High School who are redefining what agricultural education can look like—bringing learning to life, building confidence, and putting fresh, nutritious food directly onto the lunch line. Learn how your school or organization can embrace hydroponic growing by contacting Fork Farms today!
Photos: Carl Cote
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