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.

Modoc High School AG students have officially completed their first harvest using a hydroponic tower installed in Mrs. Bickford’s (DeMoss) classroom. The tower was funded through a “Grants for Growing” project she applied for last fall.

“Luckily, they were awarded the grant to purchase the tower and supplies so that they could expose students to hydroponic systems and grow their own food beyond the Ag Dept. Greenhouse.”

At the start of the spring semester, horticulture students planted green leaf and romaine lettuce seeds into rockwool flats. “Being this was the first attempt with the tower, they only planted one tray of seeds so that they could understand how the tower and process fully works.” In photos, Josh Minto is seen watering the seeds, and Eliza Peña reads the seed packages to understand their growing requirements.