Big things are happening at Chadron High! This semester, students have the opportunity to dive into the all-new Nursery and Landscape Design course, an exciting addition to the curriculum. Taught by Ms. Koerber, this hands-on class offers an in-depth exploration of the world of plants, growing principles and landscaping.
And what’s a new course without some cutting-edge equipment? Thanks to a generous grant, students are now working with a FarmForks Grow Tower, an innovative vertical hydroponic system designed to produce fresh, locally grown food for the school cafeteria. From day one, students rolled up their sleeves and got to work—assembling the tower from the ground up!
The project kicked off with students planting a variety of lettuce seeds into rockwool, a specialized growing medium. After two weeks of germination, it was time for the big move—all 288 plant plugs were carefully transferred into the grow tower. From there, students took on the responsibility of monitoring the system daily, checking pH levels, adjusting nutrients, and ensuring optimal growing conditions.
After just 28 days, the hard work paid off with a bountiful harvest! Students put their newly acquired knowledge of food safety and handling into action—washing hands, wearing gloves, sanitizing surfaces, and prepping their crop for the school cafeteria. The end result? Eight massive stainless-steel containers filled with crisp, fresh lettuce—grown right here at Chadron High!
Gillian Conway said this about the experience, “My favorite part of growing the lettuce was the harvesting process. Our class got the experience to harvest and wash it while also showing other teachers in the school. This became a fun experience for our class and we got to try it afterwards.”
Sarah Johndreau added, “My favorite part of growing the lettuce was coming into class everyday and watching it grow bigger. There was visible growth which made the entire process very exciting.”
This is just the beginning! We look forward to continuing this process and providing even more fresh produce for our school cafeteria.
