Randolph FFA Grows Hydroponic Lettuce

On Wednesday, I drove up to Randolph to record FFA member salutes that we will put on the air during National FFA Week. Alyssa Ohmann (on the left) and Hannah Moeler asked me if I would like a tour of the Randolph FFA greenhouse that they are in charge of. They are growing hydroponic lettuce. That means they are growing lettuce with the roots in water rather than soil. Fertilizer is added to the water and then continuously circulated around the roots.

Every few weeks the lettuce is harvested and donated to the school lunch program. So Randolph students are eating lettuce grown in a greenhouse beside the FFA shop! Alyssa said they cut or harvest the lettuce above the growing point so the lettuce grows back. In the other picture you can see lettuce that was harvested and has begun to grow back. This is an example of way the FFA is so special. Students spend time in the classroom and they gain experience in the real world too!