In the near future, high school students in Fresno Unified will be harvesting their own fresh lettuce, bell peppers, and tomatoes—right from their campus. Thanks to the Flex Farm these schools will experience a new way to grow food—without soil, tractors, or pesticides.
The Flex Farm is a compact, self-contained hydroponic system about the size of a refrigerator. This system can grow up to 288 plants at a time, producing 25 pounds of leafy greens every four weeks. Using nutrient-rich water and specialized lighting, the Flex Farm eliminates the need for traditional farming methods, like soil and heavy machinery, making it an eco-friendly, efficient solution for growing fresh produce year-round. Best of all, it is portable, allowing schools to place them in cafeterias or classrooms.
Through a $1 million California Farm to School grant, Fresno Unified School District plans to install 20 Flex Farm systems across its high schools over the next two years. Amanda Harvey, the district’s Director of Nutrition Services, spearheaded the effort to bring these systems to the district. Her goal is to not only provide students with hands-on farming experience but also to integrate the fresh produce the students grow into the school lunch program.
“This is an opportunity for our students to learn a different and unique way of farming,” Harvey said. Fresno, located in California’s agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, is known for its abundant food production, but many students in the district aren’t directly exposed to the farming process. Flex Farms will allow them to see how food is grown and engage them in sustainable practices.
For Michael Niehoff, Executive Director of Alternative Education, and biology teacher Jadrian Ejercito, this program isn’t just about nutrition; it’s about hands-on learning in real-life sciences. Ejercito has already introduced small hydroponic systems into his classroom, growing herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes. Now, with the addition of Flex Farms, students will expand their skills and knowledge, designing systems and even growing crops like bell peppers and strawberries.
Hydroponic systems like Flex Farm aren’t just educational; they’re a step toward healthier school lunches. Harvey envisions using the produce grown in Flex Farms to add more leafy greens and vegetables to students’ meals. This could help bridge the gap between the food grown in the San Joaquin Valley and the students who often don’t benefit from that bounty.
“Even though a lot of our families work in the agriculture industry that harvests food for the world, they don’t always get to see the fruits of their labor,” Harvey said. By bringing these innovative farms into schools, Fresno Unified hopes to change that—empowering students to grow, harvest, and eat the food they cultivate.
As the district prepares to implement this groundbreaking program, teachers will receive training, and the Flex Farms will soon begin making an impact—one leafy green at a time. The future of farming is here, and it’s growing right in our schools.
At Fork Farms, we believe in empowering communities with fresh, healthy food through innovative technology. To learn more about how Flex Farms can make a difference in your school or community, visit Fork Farms.
Fork Farms offers the most efficient, scalable, and transformative indoor, vertical hydroponic technology on the planet.
Our most popular product, the Flex Farm is available for purchase directly from our website.
