Crater High School Uses Freight Farm to Challenge Traditional Farming Practices
January 23, 2025
CENTRAL POINT Ore. - Crater High School utilizes a cutting-edge agricultural project that grows food in ways that challenge traditional farming practices and inspire students to think about sustainability in new ways.
The Freight Farm uses a vertical hydroponic method to cultivate crops like lettuce, basil and cilantro — all without soil.
The plants are nourished by nutrient-rich water, with no more than five gallons of water used per week.
The idea for the Freight Farm originated when agricultural science teachers Kristin Kostman and Jim Miller attended a national conference, where they discovered the concept.
“Our students are involved in every step, planting the seeds, monitoring growth, and harvesting the crops,” Kostman said. “It’s a hands-on, immersive experience that teaches them the possibilities of sustainable, urban farming.”
The Freight Farm operates inside a repurposed shipping container, providing a controlled environment where crops can grow vertically, illuminated by energy-efficient lights. This space-saving system is not only an educational tool but a model of how food can be produced in urban areas with limited space. Students produce up to 2,000 heads of lettuce each month, all while using very little water.
“The wow factor for the students is seeing the plants grow vertically, without soil, just using liquid nutrients,” Kostman explained.
Students monitor the crops via cameras and manage the system through their phones, using technology to track growth and ensure the plants are healthy. The harvest is then sent to the school’s food service program, where it is used to feed students and staff.
“We’ve been supplying lettuce to the district’s food service since September, and we harvest 500 to 600 plants a week,” Kostman said.
Crater High School’s success with the Freight Farm has inspired plans to expand the program. Kostman and Jim Miller hope to spread the model to other schools, encouraging them to adopt similar sustainable practices.
“This isn’t just a science experiment, it's a real-world, working farm,” Kostman said.