“Freight Farm” Lands at Rivers
The Rivers campus was abuzz this morning, as a 40’ x 8’ x 9.5’ shipping container was towed onto campus and installed, with the help of an enormous crane and some aerial acrobatics, behind the Lewis Math and Science Center. Housing a complete hydroponic farming operation, the Freight Farm, as it is known, will provide experiential learning opportunities for Rivers’ seventh grade science classes, helping to advance one of the key academic goals of the new Strategic Plan. [Click here for a time-lapse video of the installation!]
“Education is rapidly changing, and it is so important to develop and maintain a curriculum that is hand-on and relevant to today’s world,” said Head of School Ned Parsons. “You couldn’t ask for a more cutting-edge teaching tool. The Freight Farm will give the students a chance to grow plants in an innovative and sustainable way – and provide the students and faculty with fresh lettuce and other greens for lunch.”
Trustee and current parent Todd Dagres first recognized the potential of bringing a Freight Farm to Rivers, and as a result of his generosity, Rivers is the first ISL school to host a “Leafy Green Machine” as they’ve been dubbed. Dagres is providing the funds necessary to install the container as well as operating expenses for five years. Outfitted with all the tools needed for high-volume, consistent harvests, the container features innovative climate technology and growing equipment that can provide the perfect environment for a year-round supply of a variety of vegetables.
The Freight Farm company itself, founded in 2010 by Jon Friedman and Brad McNamara, is dedicated to creating the infrastructure to allow a local, sustainable, competitive food supply to thrive. Freight Farm systems are currently operating in cities across the United States and Canada, creating year-round access to local, fresh produce for restaurants, universities, corporate campuses, hotels, and small businesses. Several area universities, as well as Boston Latin School, have successfully hosted Freight Farms.
Rivers’ seventh grade science curriculum is a logical venue for incorporating this project since the focus is on life science and sustainability. Students are introduced to the study of ecology and investigate the complex interactions between all types of organisms and their environments. The Freight Farm can provide additional opportunities to study first-hand the life and nutrient cycles of plants, human influence (their own) on the environment, renewable and non-renewable energies, and sustainable living—topics which have traditionally been part of the curriculum.
You can be sure the students will never look at a salad the same way after a year “in the Farm.”
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