Students in Midwest will soon get a hands-on lesson in growing their own food — indoors. Thanks to a $2,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of America, the district’s Breakfast and Lunch Program is set to launch an indoor hydroponic garden, bringing fresh, locally grown produce straight from the classroom to the cafeteria.

The innovative project will be directed by Desiree McAdams, Director of Nutritional and Warehouse Services, who said the garden will help students see “where their food really comes from” while also improving the quality of school meals.

Using hydroponic systems — which grow plants without soil — students will cultivate strawberries, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other fresh produce year-round. The garden is projected to yield more than 390 pounds of produce annual

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