We had a wonderful time collaborating with the CBS-TV crew based in Chicago on a national news segment for their Eye on America show. Eye on America is a collection of inspirational and informative feature stories from every corner of America. Each story provides a unique, in-depth exploration of people working diligently and directly to solve a broad range of challenging social, cultural, and economic issues that need to be addressed as a society or in specific communities. CBS producers were both intrigued by the Flex Farm and Alex Tyink’s story of how he went from an opera singer to founding a company that helps solve food insecurity globally and provides everyone with access to healthful, fresh produce.
The Eye on America segment highlighted Fork Farms and some of our amazing partners including Ozaukee Food Alliance, Ashwaubenon School District, and Vincent High School. Fork Farms thrives in tandem with our partners and we know the most important thing we can do is help our partners feed more people fresh food. At Fork Farms, we are proud of our partners’ impactful work and we are elated to share with you a deeper look at these organizations that were featured in the Eye on America news segment.
Ozaukee Food Alliance Serves Families With Hydroponics
Ozaukee Food Alliance is a non-profit organization providing warm meals, groceries, school supplies, and support to families in need in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. The number of families served has grown tremendously since they opened their doors in 2012, and has more than doubled in the past three years. In June 2024 alone, Ozaukee Food Alliance served 790 families and 2,093 unduplicated individuals.
Ozaukee Food Alliance uses two Flex Farms from Fork Farms to grow fresh greens, tomatoes, and peppers that are packaged for distribution in their food pantry. According to Executive Director, Mark Gierach, “Too many families simply can't afford fresh produce due to the cost, and the fresh food grown in the Flex Farms guarantees that some fresh produce will be on the tables of many families in our area. Plus, the families love both the taste of the fresh greens and how long the produce lasts compared to what they might be able to find in the grocery store.”
Outside of the food pantry, Ozaukee Food Alliance provides a free meal site, holiday meal boxes, and mobile food pantries in Ozaukee County. The organization also hosts a Back to School Fair and a Backpack Fridays Program in the Port Washington/Saukville School District to ensure local students have access to healthy foods.
Ashwaubenon School District Grows Fresh Food For Students
Ashwaubenon School District in Green Bay, Wisconsin has 34 Flex Farms throughout the school district growing fresh food that is served in the cafeteria for students in their elementary, middle, and high schools. The school district feeds 1,600-1,800 students each day with the fresh lettuce grown in their Flex Farms, with the goal of growing all of the fresh greens their schools need on-site in their school district. Fresh lettuces are harvested in their main hub and shipped out to all schools to serve on the salad bar every day.
Ashwaubenon High School has a dedicated space in the school where 24 Flex Farms are growing. The remaining Flex Farms are scattered across other schools in the district, with some of the Flex Farms placed in cafeterias so students can watch the produce grow every day school is in session. The Flex Farms are also used for educational purposes in the district in science, social studies, and advanced classes, as well as special education classes. The school district uses a tailored K-12 curriculum that is supplied by Fork Farms.he students who are engaged with the Flex Farms are appointed as farm managers, and charged with setting up and maintaining the hydroponic farms, preparing nutrient solutions, determining crop cycles and crop propagation, and monitoring the conditions necessary for plant growth. These management skills provide both valuable lifelong skills, and opportunities for critical thinking and teamwork for the students.
Teachers in the Ashwaubenon School District appreciate the learning opportunities and creativity the Flex Farms present. Students aren't just reading about potential outcomes; they're witnessing growth firsthand. They're actively engaging with fresh foods, which they’re putting into their growing bodies, making the learning experience both tangible and impactful.
Vincent High School Grow Room Features 12 Hydroponic Flex Farms
Vincent High School in Milwaukee has created an indoor “Grow Room” that uses 12 Flex Farms to grow a variety of fresh greens and herbs on school grounds and enhance the curriculum in their Agribusiness track. The family of 12 Flex Farms can produce more than 300 pounds of fresh leafy greens in less than one month. Students in Vincent’s Agribusiness track and Career and Technical Education (CTE) program not only maintain the Flex Farms and grow fresh foods, but they also learn about STEM and experience hands-on, real-world farming scenarios and management skills. The students also created a business plan exploring how to incorporate produce and herbs into food science projects, sell fresh foods at the local farmer's market, and ensure enough fresh food is available to donate to the local food pantry.
CBS-TV in Milwaukee visited Vincent High School to see the Grow Room firsthand and interview students and science teachers on-site. Get a glimpse inside the Grow Room here.
We can’t thank our partners enough for supporting Fork Farms in making fresh foods more accessible to more people. If you’re interested in partnering with us, we would love to hear from you.
