What is it?
Sustainability goes beyond sustainable design, working to create opportunities where students embody the principles of conservation and environmental awareness. There are a number of ways that sustainability can brought into teaching and learning that also have practical, real-life applications.
One such approach is the concept of a ‘farm-in-a-box,’ a compact container that contains all of the elements to grow plants and food. The farm can be created within a used shipping container and uses hydroponic technology, which is a way of growing plants without soil. This approach also complements active learning and interdisciplinary approaches to learning. A Farm-in-a-Box solution represents the latest in agricultural technology and can be used to teach curriculum ranging from biology to horticulture to computer science. In urban environments this technology exposes students to science of growing their own food, an abstract concept for many, if not most. In rural environments this technology trains students how to interact with the agricultural technologies of the future and could be used to complement other kinds of farming activities.
Many communities suffer from food injustice issues, such as food deserts, where there is a lack of healthy, affordable, fresh food in the community. Additionally, the space required by these systems is significantly less than traditional farming and therefore makes more economic sense. Depending on the location, the farm in a box allows for plants to be grown in areas where they would otherwise be infeasible due to the local climate. Now plants that thrive in hot, humid climates could theoretically be grown anywhere, even in dry, arid climates.
How big an Investment are Indoor Plants?
The cost of creating a school garden can vary widely. A traditional farm-in-a-box will range from $50,000-$80,000 depending on the manufacturer and materials used. However, similar objectives can be achieved with smaller scale projects such as planter beds and indoor hydroponic or aeroponic growing racks for minimal costs. The more sophisticated versions have added costs due to technology such as solar pv to power the grow systems, battery storage systems for backup, water pumps, basic farming tools, sensors and wifi connectivity. There may also be additional ongoing costs for the seedlings as well as the nutrients required for the plants to grow.
What are the benefits to instruction?
One of the obvious benefits of the farm in a box concept is local food production. In addition to providing fresh, healthy food, the students can connect with the broader community by donating the food directly to local food pantries or selling using a co-op or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) method which could help pay for the materials. Local volunteers such as community members and parents can also be utilized to support these efforts. There are also benefits of workforce training such as technology, agriculture/farming, and project management.
The students will also have the benefit of eating healthy foods which can improve their own health and provide further success in the class. A recent report1 demonstrated that significant improvements in student performance were found when plants were present, compared with classes without plants (increases between 10-14%) and recommend that indoor plants be a standard installation for school classrooms. Trials found that classroom plants consistently led to improvement in spelling, mathematics, and science performance.
Additionally, planting and growing can be used as a hands on tool for lessons in science, on the various organisms, plant anatomy, earth science, as well as mathematics and even art. The food products produced can be used in other classes such as home economics or cooking, preparing a new wave of chefs who utilize local foods. The long-term nature of growing can also provide students with a sense of responsibility for the growth and care of the plants and a reason to never give up.
1 Daly, et al. “Plants in the Classroom Can Improve Student Performance.” 2010.