We all know that school lunches are not the greatest food we’ve ever had, but it could improve. During the winter in Colorado, we have to get most of our fresh produce shipped in from other states and countries where it can grow; therefore, the produce may not be the freshest nor the tastiest.
This can clearly be seen at the salad bar in the cafeteria recently. However, due to the new programs at the EPIC campus, the salad bar is getting a little fresher this semester. The students in the Plant Science class this semester are working diligently to grow and supply the 3 big LPS high schools, Arapahoe, Heritage, and Littleton with fresh greens for their salad bars. This is possible due to the state-of-the-art growing system implemented at the EPIC campus, a hydroponics farm within an old shipping container.
The farm uses a drip irrigation system as well as an ebb and flow system that allows for leafy greens and herbs to thrive during the winter months. This allows the students to be able to grow the equivalent amount of produce as 12 acres of traditional farmland. Due to the farm being indoors, the produce does not require to be sprayed with pesticides and is in a very controlled environment, causing a more consistent crop. In addition, because the farm uses a drip irrigation system, the entire box uses only about 3 gallons of water a day compared to the approximately 46,285.7 gallons it would take on a traditional farm. The farm also produces about 15-20 pounds of lettuce each harvest, allowing for each school to have a fair amount of lettuce for the salad bars each time it is grown. The other crops that are grown are also donated to partnering businesses for their use. The most recent kale crop was donated to the GraceFull Cafe, which is a pay-what-you-can restaurant that supports all Coloradans no matter their situation. It is businesses like this that really benefit from the EPIC students’ hard work and dedication.
The students at EPIC are caretakers of the whole farm except for the computer system and purchasing the seeds and nutrients. Therefore, the whole process of seeding, growing, and harvesting is done by fellow Heritage and other LPS students to give back to our school communities. This harvest was completed for the first crops of the semester on February 5th, 2024, and came to the school lunch rooms that week. So if you are looking for a good quality salad for lunch, at some point it might be grown by your fellow students.