Last week, Germantown High School students near Milwaukee, WI, celebrated something special: the joy of growing, harvesting, and sharing their own fresh food, right inside their school.
As part of their science curriculum, students have been planting, maintaining, and monitoring their Flex Farms, indoor, mobile hydroponic growing systems that grow fresh produce year-round. On Friday, October 17, the students proudly harvested the greens they’ve nurtured over the past month and served them in the cafeteria for the entire school community to enjoy.
WISN-TV in Milwaukee came to the event to witness the fresh food harvest first-hand and hear what the students have learned from their Flex Farms. And, the Journal Sentinel also attended the event to take some amazing photos of the students and their Flex Farms.
Inside Germantown High School’s new Hydroponic Lab live 11 Flex Farms and two Flex Micro systems, where students have cultivated lettuces, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and microgreens. The produce grown there is served throughout the school district’s six cafeterias, ensuring that every student benefits from the program.
"The looks on the faces of the students are just, it's incredible. 'They're like, wow, that's grown at our high school!'" said Jill Seefeld, the district's food nutrition director.
Programs like Germantown’s reflect a growing national movement to bring farm-to-school opportunities directly into classrooms. With nearly one in five U.S. children experiencing food insecurity, schools are seeking creative ways to strengthen meal programs, improve nutrition, and stretch food budgets.
Hydroponic farming makes it possible to grow hyper-local produce that moves from harvest to plate within minutes, maximizing nutrients, reducing waste, and increasing access to healthy food for all students.
October is National Farm to School Month, and last week also marked National School Lunch Week, a perfect time to recognize the powerful connection between food, learning, and lifelong wellness. Germantown’s work is part of a broader “Food Is Medicine” movement that sees food not just as nourishment, but as a vital component of health care.
By growing their own food, students are taking part in a model that healthcare systems and communities nationwide are beginning to adopt: using locally grown, nutritious food to prevent disease, improve well-being, and build equity.
At Fork Farms, we believe the ability to grow fresh food should belong to everyone, students, teachers, families, and communities alike. The Germantown School District’s Hydroponic Lab is a shining example of what’s possible when innovation meets education.
By combining cutting-edge technology with student-driven learning, schools like Germantown High School are growing our future.
To learn how your school can benefit from Flex Farms, please contact Fork Farms today.
Fork Farms offers the most efficient, scalable, and transformative indoor, vertical hydroponic technology on the planet.
Our most popular product, the Flex Farm is available for purchase directly from our website.
