MANISTEE — Fresh leafy greens are growing inside the Manistee Public School cafeteria as part of their new hydroponic program.
The district recently installed a hydroponic growing system that allows students to grow fruits and vegetables indoors using only water, nutrients, and light.
Director of nutrition Haley Savage said she is grateful for winning the grant.
“I applied for a grant early in the school year, got approved for it, bought the product, and then we got reimbursed from the state.”
Savage said the idea came from her previous experience working with hydroponics in Grand Rapids and a desire to bring fresh food access to a more rural district.
“Especially being in a more rural area, they don’t always have the opportunity to go out, so this gives them that experience right here in school.”
Beyond producing food for student lunches, the system is also tied directly into classroom learning. Teachers can use built-in curriculum aligned with next generation science standards for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
“So, I’ll fill this up with water and I will read the text and make sure that it’s within 100 parts per million. This will be part of their next generation science curriculum. This is teaching them calculating parts per million using different types of nutrients.”
Students will help plant, monitor, and harvest crops like lettuce, basil, cucumbers, and eventually strawberries - produce that will be served in school meals.
Savage said she plans to continue to apply for more grants so they can implement the program in other Manistee schools.