John Hardin High School FFA: Integrating Hydroponics to Combat Food Insecurity

The Challenge

John Hardin High School faced the challenge of improving student access to fresh produce while also delivering engaging, hands-on STEM and agricultural education. They aimed to bridge traditional agriculture with controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) and foster community partnerships to address food insecurity effectively.

The Solution

The school decided to integrate Fork Farms Flex Farms into their FFA/Agricultural Education program.  Jeremy Hall, the Agricultural Education Teacher and FFA Advisor, stated, 'It's created a collaboration between our ag communities. We are learning from each other, having genuine conversations about food insecurity, and the kids in my school feel part of it now. It's a truly beautiful thing to watch.' Students are trained in seeding, monitoring, and harvesting, and the program is aligned with local cafeteria and community partners. The initiative also includes public demonstrations and policy conversations to extend learning beyond the classroom.

The Results

The program successfully supplies fresh, local greens to the district's meals and the local Farm to Plate program, achieving significant milestones such as selling approximately 50 lbs of produce to the district. A key metric includes the operation of five Flex Farms. Furthermore, students have become more engaged in leadership and advocacy roles, discussing the future of hydroponics with the Kentucky legislature. The initiative has strengthened community collaboration around food insecurity and is developing a mobile hydroponics education center to scale awareness. Jeremy Hall remarked, 'From the perspective of Jeremy Hall, Agricultural Educator, the Flex Farm was the best investment he's made in his career of more than 20 years of teaching.' This success story serves as a replicable model for other schools looking to integrate similar programs.