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Redford Union elementary schools pilot hydroponics in STEAM classes, plan cafeteria use
Summary
Hilbert and Beach elementary schools began a hydroponics pilot using four Fork Farms units paid for with food-service funds; principals and teachers said student lessons include pH testing and plant cycles, and harvested produce is planned for the school cafeterias.
Hilbert and Beach elementary schools in the Redford Union School District are piloting classroom hydroponics this winter, district staff told the school board at its Feb. 10 meeting.
The pilot uses four Fork Farms hydroponic units—two at Hilbert and two at Beach—purchased with food-service funds, Jill Birch, principal of Hilbert Elementary, said. Angela Davis, a STEAM teacher who runs one of the classroom systems, described the method and student lessons and said the district plans to send harvested produce to school cafeterias.
The pilot grew out of an idea introduced to the district by food-service staff and was taken up by two STEAM teachers, Rebecca Letham and Angela Davis, Birch said. The Fork Farms system can grow several varieties of lettuce, herbs and some fruiting vegetables; Davis said the seed-to-harvest cycle for the lettuce varieties shown is roughly 28 days.
Students participating in the program recorded short videos and kept lab binders to track nutrient and pH tests, Birch said. The lessons include measuring pH and preparing growing media (rock wool) and give students hands-on practice with monitoring nutrient solutions and recording results.
Board members asked about scaling and siting. Trustee Bailey noted state and local food-service rules that can encourage buying local; Birch and staff said the initial purchase was intentionally small—four units—to pilot the program and see how it integrates with classroom schedules and cafeteria needs. Davis told the board the units need electricity for circulating pumps and, in most classroom installations, supplemental grow lights; she said greenhouse siting is possible but would require a different system setup.
Staff emphasized this is a pilot and said they will assess educational outcomes and operational logistics before expanding. The district said it used existing food-service budget authority to buy the units and will monitor how well student-grown produce can be integrated into meal service.
Board members praised the student engagement. "We're teaching sustainability. We're teaching the benefits of growing our own food," Trustee Miller said during discussion.
If the program expands, district staff said future steps would include identifying funding and facilities needs and assessing whether larger greenhouse or community-based sites would be appropriate.
The presentation included student-produced material and classroom photos showing seed preparation, rock wool plugs and small romaine transplants; staff said those plants were not yet at harvest size.
About the presenters and next steps: Birch and the STEAM teachers will continue the pilot, collect student data and report back to the board; the district food-service director initiated the purchase and will coordinate cafeteria integration if harvesting proves feasible.
