USA - ALABAMA - VIDEO: Chickasaw City Schools Receives Hydroponic Container For Agriculture Program
It works by using a shipping container like this to grow the vegetables. There’s no soil, just water. And it’s inside, which will keep crops safe from the weather.(WALA)
August 11, 2023
It works by using a shipping container like this to grow the vegetables. There’s no soil, just water. And it’s inside, which will keep crops safe from the weather. (WALA)
CHICKASAW, Ala. (WALA) -Thanks to a partnership with Freight Farms. Chickasaw students are about to try their hand at hydroponic farming. Superintendent David Wofford says the school system has been wanting to do this for a couple years.
“This was funded by a prize we won last year called the YAAS prize so we’ve taken that investment and put it into this so we can keep doing things that are outside the box so our kids can get ahead,” said Wofford.
It works by using a shipping container like this to grow the vegetables. There’s no soil, just water. And it’s inside, which will keep crops safe from the weather.
“It is technology based so there are formulas that control the lighting, there are formulas that control the water, there are formulas to control the nutrients that go into the water,” said Career Counseling Curriculum Coordinator Robbie Durr.
The school says they plan to start by growing lettuce that can be used in the school’s cafeteria and with some local restaurants. They also plan to teach students some business skills once the vegetables start growing.
“They’ll know how to market, they’ll know how to sell, they’ll know how to count, and we plan on providing internships so the kids can actually get paid while they’re learning,” said Wofford.
“I’m going to greatly need that because I want to be into stock markets and buying stocks and stuff,” said 7th grader Terrance White.
The school hopes to have the container up and running in about a week, and the students say they can’t wait to get started.
“This is a major thing for our school especially in our small city,” said White.
“I hope they take away they can do anything they put their mind to, and I hope it expands their horizons on what success looks like,” said Durr.
The superintendent says the money the students make will be invested back into the business. Some of the money will also go to their economics class so they can learn how to invest on wall street.