Little Flower students in the Klarich Center program explore vertical farming methods using aeroponic towers, vertical structures that suspend plant roots in the air instead of in soil. According to the USDA, vertical agriculture could help increase food production and expand agricultural operations as the world's population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050.
Producing fresh vegetables close to teeming urban populations could help meet increasing global food demands in a more sustainable manner. The practice would also help reduce distribution chains to lower emissions, provide higher-nutrient produce, and drastically reduce water usage and runoff.
Brianna Scollon, a junior at Little Flower, says she enjoys watching her plants grow, which she grew from seed. "Not only am I learning so much about taking care of the plants and their pH levels," Scollon said, "but making people more aware of this technique of growing food will be able to help countless families provide food for themselves."
Every day Scollon must monitor the pH levels of the plants' water, and when the levels are off, "I have the privilege of adding bases and acids to the water so that the plants may thrive," she said. "Knowing I'm able to grow food myself starting from just some seeds is very exciting."
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