The High School East AgTech lab has been been on a journey for the better part of a decade. Its inception was a DIY vertical hydroponics setup in the back of a 7th grade science lab in 2017. What started as a couple of buckets from the local hardware store is now a state-of-the-art research space for students to engage in controlled environment agriculture, or CEA. In addition to its high tech research capabilities, the lab is outfitted with several production sized hydroponic systems including a pair of 125 site vertical NFTs from American Hydroponics. When operating at full efficiency, students can harvest 250 heads of leafy greens every three weeks. That is a lot of food!

Vertical NFT production towers with custom lighting and fertigation systems sit in the heart of the AgTech lab.

Given the space’s ability to produce such a tremendous amount of fresh produce year round, Half Hollow Hills has partnered with Island Harvest. The Long Island food bank has acted as a vehicle for bringing our harvest into our community to help those struggling with food insecurity.

A shipment of greens that has been harvested by students awaits pickup from a local food pantry.

In order to maintain production even when students cannot be in the farm, the lab has been equipped with industry-standard monitoring and automating equipment from AC Infinity and Atlas Scientific. This ensures that water chemistry and environmental variables are kept in balance even when schools are closed for long weekends and holidays.

A custom made monitoring system named “Red Hawk” has been programmed, laser cut, and assembled on site.

This equipment has been leveraged to develop curriculum built around students exploring computer programming, electronics, and demystifying topics such as computer vision and AI. There is no better way to engage students in STEM than to have hands on experiences growing food for others while gaining an appreciation for what the future of farming may look like.