Texas Students Harness High-Tech Farming to Sustainably Feed Their Campus Community

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In Manor ISD, located near Austin, students are redefining the concept of farm-to-table in an innovative way.

At Oak Meadows Elementary, a remarkable new program has been introduced, allowing students to engage in hydroponic farming to cultivate fresh lettuce and basil. This initiative is part of the school district’s broader Farm to School effort, aiming to educate students while providing fresh produce.

Hydroponic farming, which involves growing plants in nutrient-rich water rather than traditional soil, has been adopted by Manor ISD through the purchase of specialized towers. These towers not only accelerate plant growth but also increase the yield compared to conventional methods.

“Everything the plants need to grow is provided artificially,” explained Oak Meadows Principal Marcelina Cobb. She highlighted the educational benefits, noting that students engage with learning beyond books and technology by physically interacting with and tasting the plants.

Aiming to become the district’s leading “green school,” Oak Meadows is collaborating closely with the nutrition department to achieve this sustainable goal. This innovative program is not just about growing plants but also nurturing a deeper understanding of agriculture and sustainability among students.

Nutrition Director Ryan Cengel helped purchase the hydroponic growing farm for the campus through grant funding.

“It’s a fantastic learning experience for our students. I know of some other districts that are doing similar things,” he said. “Anything we can do from the food services department to provide our students with ample opportunities to learn about nutrition and food we do.”

Cengel said the hands-on experience is about much more than a school project. He hopes the program develops healthy eating habits.

“Vegetables can be a tough sell sometimes for kids, but there is a lot of research that shows when the kids are growing it from seed to plant, they’re more likely to try it or to think about trying something,” Cengel explained.

But leaders at the school aren’t the only ones who approve of the program. Students like fourth grader Maria said growing plants in the classroom is fun.

“In my head, I was like, ‘I want to try it!’” Maria said.

When asked what she thinks the hydroponic veggies will taste like, Maria believes they will taste better than the ones at the grocery store.

“I think it’s going to taste like candy, really good. It’s going to be really, really good,” she said.

Cengel explained that the vegetables grown by the students will end up on their classmates’ lunch trays. The school will purchase the vegetables and serve them back to Oak Meadows.

“The lettuce is going to go on the salad bars every day, and the basil will be turned into a cold pesto,” he said.

Cengel said the money earned can be used to purchase more seeds or books for the classroom.

It’s not just fourth graders that are in on the action. Cobb said each grade level of Oak Meadows is environmentally-focused.

“The teachers work so hard and collectively buy into this. We all want to be a green school, from the custodian all the way to the principal. We all put in the hard work,” she said.

Cobb explained the program meets the City of Austin’s “Zero Waste” goal to reduce water use and the amount of trash sent to landfills by 2040. Cobb explained that hydroponic farming uses around 90% less water than traditional gardening.

“It’s the fruition of a lot of hard work from our students and our staff,” Cobb said.