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studies also prove that indoor hydroponic growing in schools helps to increase children’s willingness to try fresh fruits and vegetables because they are learning about the foods and involved in the growing process. At Fork Farms, we have found that students also like to share this excitement with others, so we have ideas for further engagement with the Flex Farm. Teachers can challenge students to make (and then eat) a salad grown completely in a Flex Farm. Students can also be challenged to see how many colors of the rainbow they can eat from their Flex Farm. The most popular crops to grow in a hydroponic farm are any lettuce variety or leafy green. One Flex Farm can produce more than 25 pounds or more of fresh leafy greens in less than one month. Herbs such as basil, parsley, mint, and cilantro all thrive in a hydroponic growing environment, as do fruiting plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. It’s also fun for people to get their hands dirty, so students, teachers, even parents can be chefs for an afternoon. Students can harvest basil and learn how to make
homemade pesto. The fresh pesto can be paired with pasta, and drizzled over fresh tomatoes for a delicious local meal. Schools can invite parents to join for a locally-grown produce tasting event and hone in on the benefits of local and community. There are thousands of benefits to local and Flex Farms make fresh foods hyper local. Growing your own vegetables lets you control the conditions they grow under, which increases their nutritional quality since they’re not losing nutrients from having to travel hundreds or thousands of miles. The Flex Farm offers the chance for people to control their food from seed to plate! When you grow your own food, you are inherently learning more about fresh produce, how to take care of it, preserve it, eat it, and ultimately, you’re able to share that knowledge (and likely food!) with the people in your family and community. Learn more details about how easy and fruitful it is to bring the Flex Farm to your school in our previous issue here .
Contact Fork Farms today! Fork Farms ForkFarms.com
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