Sage Dining and VertiFarms Bring Fresh, Organic Produce to Newman

[FULL STORY]

New Orleans entrepreneurial company VertiFarms wants to start a trend in urban farming. The company’s product, vertical aeroponic Tower Gardens, take up very little space and uses water rather than soil to grow produce. Recently Rouse’s Supermarket began growing a good deal of its organic herbs on the rooftop of its Central Business District location. And now Newman, with the help of Sage Dining, is growing fresh herbs and vegetables for the School’s lunch program and events.

When Food Services Director Trudi Ruppenicker saw the Rouse’s rooftop garden, she brought the idea to her management team at Sage Dining and the Newman administration. The School purchased six of the Tower Gardens that are located in the sunny yard outside the kindergarten classrooms of the Stern Building. All of the towers are draped with crops that are harvested and used in the School Dining Hall. In their second planting, the towers have already produced eggplants, four types of basil, thyme, oregano, peppers, and dill. This fall, the towers will produce micro greens and winter tomatoes.

Newman is the first school in the area to participate in this program. One of the great benefits of the towers is that they do not need soil at all. The towers use aeroponic technology which obviates the need for soil and reduces water consumption considerably. The aeroponic towers can be used to set up sustainable gardens virtually anywhere, making them a great choice for urban areas with limited space for gardens.

The towers also have an educational component. Students help germinate the seeds and harvest the produce. The students can also learn about sustainability, water conservation, the life cycles of plants, and the benefits of locally sourced foods. Special signs on menu items containing home-grown foods inform the diners and generate more interest in the program.

Food services Director Trudi Ruppenicker has this to say about the VertiFarms vertical aeroponic Tower Gardens: “The vertical gardens provide more than two pounds of fresh herbs weekly for us to use in our dishes – you can't imagine what a difference fresh herbs make in a recipe. In addition to that, our children were so excited to learn that Newman is using a technology that was developed by NASA engineers as a means of growing plants in space.” We are pleased to know that Newman is using the best ideas of local entrepreneurs to improve the quality of its food service program while nourishing its students in body and mind.