Food for the future

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Say goodbye to packaged lettuce and cucumbers. Starting this school year, Mead High School is adding something special to the salad bar. 

Ag teacher Cole Blomendahl is leading the charge on a hydroponics project in the greenhouse, growing fresh cucumbers and lettuce. 

“We are growing them in water,” Blomendahl said. “The lettuce is growing purely suspended in water, and the cucumbers are growing purely in the perlite.”

This process, called hydroponics, is the growing of plants without using soil. Instead, the plants grow in water or perlite, a Styrofoam-like substance that absorbs water.

Growing plants using hydroponics provides a hands-on approach to educating students while also adding fresh veggies to the lunchroom.

Senior Leigha Divoll helps with this study as part of her plant science class. The class harvests their lettuce and cucumbers once every week.

“I was honestly shocked because it used to be just flowers and other plants, and now there’s a whole set of vegetables,” Divoll said. “It adds a whole different aspect to Mr B’s classes.”

Divoll and other participating students are required to monitor the plants’ pH and electrical conductivity (EC) to ensure optimal growth.

Not only does involvement in this study help students academically, but it also provides an opportunity for participants to build their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and possibly earn FFA awards. 

This makes Mead’s participation even more meaningful, especially since the school is one of only 10 in Nebraska taking part.

The hydroponics system is a huge investment, with equipment costing upwards of $5,000.

This includes not only the cost of equipment but also the cost of the chemicals added to regulate pH and EC. However, a grant allows the school to have no part in the funding.

“I got contacted by some former ag teachers who were coordinating a statewide grant to get schools growing cafeteria food,” Blomendahl said.

The new cafeteria food also gives students more reason to eat healthier.

Two varieties of lettuce are being grown in the greenhouse: Romaine and crunch leaf lettuce.

“I love the new lettuce; it’s making me start to eat salads at lunch,” senior Oswaldo Cruz said.

This change is built to last, with these two vegetables regularly being added to the salad bar.

“As long as the kitchen’s good with it, we’re gonna keep on doing it,” Blomendahl said.

The project benefits both students and the school by providing hands-on learning and fresh produce for the cafeteria, even with the cost and effort involved.