Food Grown Home Launches First Tower Garden in MCPS at Einstein High School

In partnership with the gardening club Food Grown at Einstein, Food Grown Home is excited to announce that on April 22nd, the first-ever aeroponic Tower Garden will be established at Albert Einstein High School (AEHS). AEHS will be the first school in Montgomery County to implement this futuristic aeroponic food-growing technology, which will enable students to learn more about sustainable farming practices and empower them with the ability to grow their own food.

Per Food Grown Home:
Sponsored by Food Grown Home (FGH), the FGH-inspired gardening club ‘Food Grown at Einstein’ at Einstein HS was established in Fall 2021 with the goal of encouraging student participation in gardening activities and raising awareness about environmental issues. Led by club president Miranda Gray, the club has been experimenting with growing fresh produce over the past several months using hydroponic gardening equipment such as the AeroGarden and IDOO countertop systems provided by FGH. With these systems, club members have been able to grow different varieties of lettuce and distribute their harvested crop to other students for a healthy addition of leafy greens to their lunches. FGH has also provided the club with various sprouting seeds such as broccoli, radish, and fenugreek sprouts so that they can explore these mini-hydroponic activities as well. With the addition of this vertical Tower Garden, students of Einstein HS will now be able to grow a wider variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs, including lettuce, kale, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peas, beans, peppers, and basil.

FGH is passionate about involving youth and young adults in food-growing STEM activities, which can illuminate career pathways into the fields of agriculture, horticulture, public health, environmental science, and more. Further, this STEM engagement provides inspiration for critical discussions on the viability of our food systems, opportunities for increased sustainability in their schools and local communities, strategies for reducing food insecurity, and how one can apply sustainable farming methods to increase access to nutritious food. FGH is hopeful to recruit more students from schools across MCPS to start their own Food Grown Home clubs and increase access to sustainable food-growing equipment that will help others learn to grow their own food. Interested students are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] to schedule an information meeting with an FGH staff member.