--- title: "Growing a Greener Future: Winona Area Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day with a Fresh Harvest" description: "On Earth Day, April 22, Winona Area Public Schools (WAPS) in Minnesota celebrated something truly special: their commitment to sustainability, student learning, and fresh food. At Winona Senior High School, students, staff, and local media gathered for a hands-on harvest event showcasing the school’s innovative indoor hydroponic growing system, powered by Fork Farms’ Flex Farms. In just six Flex Farms, students grow close to 200 pounds of fresh lettuce each month, all of it harvested and served directly in the school cafeteria’s salad bar. This is Minnesota’s first-ever Flex Connect system, a collaborative growing model that links multiple Flex Farms together for greater impact. It’s a powerful example of what’s possible when schools embrace hyperlocal food production and student-centered sustainability." --- [Get Growing Blog ](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog) # [Growing a Greener Future: Winona Area Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day with a Fresh Harvest](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/growing-a-greener-future-winona-area-public-schools-celebrates-earth-day-with-a-fresh-harvest) Written by [Krista Koranda](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/author/krista-koranda) | Apr 29, 2025 3:00:00 PM On Earth Day, April 22, Winona Area Public Schools [(WAPS)](https://www.winonaschools.org/) in Minnesota celebrated something truly special: their commitment to sustainability, student learning, and fresh food. At Winona Senior High School, students, staff, and local media gathered for a hands-on harvest event showcasing the school’s innovative indoor hydroponic growing system, powered by Fork Farms’ Flex Farms. In just six Flex Farms, students grow close to **200 pounds of fresh lettuce each month**, all of it harvested and served directly in the school cafeteria’s salad bar. This is Minnesota’s **first-ever **[**Flex Connect**](https://www.forkfarms.com/flex-connect)** system**, a collaborative growing model that links multiple Flex Farms together for greater impact. It’s a powerful example of what’s possible when schools embrace hyperlocal food production and student-centered sustainability. FFA Officer and student Farm Manager Miriam Jackson, alongside School Nutrition Director Jennifer Walters, led the event. Both shared their experiences running the Flex Connect system — from testing pH and nutrient levels to monitoring crop cycles and integrating real-world farming skills into the school day. It’s not just about growing lettuce; it’s about [growing scientists, problem-solvers, and changemakers.](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/hydroponics-in-schools-cultivating-young-minds) Each Flex Farm can grow 25 pounds of leafy greens in just 28 days, using hydroponics — a soil-free growing method that saves space and water while boosting yield. WAPS uses the Flex Farms across subjects, from health and agriculture to STEM and [nutrition education](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/how-flex-farms-are-revolutionizing-school-nutrition-and-education). Students are learning firsthand how food grows and how it can impact both personal health and planetary well-being. In addition to lush green lettuce, the school’s Flex Farms are now sprouting basil and cherry tomatoes, proving just how versatile and inspiring hydroponic farming can be. During the event, media outlets from across Minnesota and Wisconsin — including the *Minnesota Star Tribune*, *Winona Pos*t, KTTC-TV, WXOW-TV, KIMT-TV, and WKBT-TV — captured the excitement, the learning, and the literal farm-to-fork journey happening inside Winona Senior High School. KIMT-TV [**Winona high school students harvest lettuce grown inside the school**](https://www.kimt.com/news/minnesota/winona-high-school-students-harvest-lettuce-grown-inside-the-school/article_d539c363-86ed-433e-8c89-dc234c0c803a.html) KTTC-TV [From harvest to salad bar: Winona students grow fresh greens for school lunch](https://www.kttc.com/2025/04/22/harvest-salad-bar-winona-students-grow-fresh-greens-school-lunch/) WXOW-TV [**Hydroponics help students in Winona learn and grow**](https://www.wxow.com/video/hydroponics-help-students-in-winona-learn-and-grow/video_bec37937-c58b-585a-963c-7d371fe24553.html) Star Tribune - [This Minnesota high school is stocking its salad bar with lettuce it grows on-site](https://www.startribune.com/this-minnesota-high-school-is-stocking-its-salad-bar-with-lettuce-it-grows-on-site/601331086) Winona Post **- **[Homegrown greens on school menu](https://www.winonapost.com/news/homegrown-greens-on-school-menu/article_a29a94ab-4978-40a7-9102-943547872614.html) WKBT-TV** - **[Winona Senior High School students grow 50 pounds of lettuce for Earth Day celebration](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/winona/winona-senior-high-school-students-grow-50-pounds-of-lettuce-for-earth-day-celebration/article_4b2b3d88-301d-4595-8dd5-8ffb7ee227c8.html) We’re proud to support Winona Area Public Schools as they lead the way in sustainable school nutrition. Their Flex Connect system isn’t just growing food — it’s growing a brighter, healthier future for all. [View full post](https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/growing-a-greener-future-winona-area-public-schools-celebrates-earth-day-with-a-fresh-harvest) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Krista Koranda" }, "dateModified" : "2025-04-29T15:00:02.856Z", "datePublished" : "2025-04-29T15:00:00Z", "headline" : "Growing a Greener Future: Winona Area Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day with a Fresh Harvest", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 3024, "url" : "https://www.forkfarms.com/hubfs/IMG_1466.jpg", "width" : 4032 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.forkfarms.com/blog/growing-a-greener-future-winona-area-public-schools-celebrates-earth-day-with-a-fresh-harvest", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Get Growing Blog" } } ```