By Kyra Davidson
Felicity-Franklin FFA Reporter
Felicity-Franklin FFA will be receiving nearly $900 from a Tractor Supply Co. program called Grants for Growing. FFA members Bailey Lowe and Luke Jennings filled out an application through this program in order to purchase a food computer and two miniature vertical farm towers.
A food computer is a very new project developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It allows the user to grow plants of any kind inside, no matter where he or she lives. The food computer learns “climate recipes” and recreates the weather, temperature, and humidity of the area to which the desired plant is native. For example, a food computer in Ohio could grow oranges!
Vertical farming is a form of farming that utilized space vertically, rather than horizontally. A vertical farm tower takes up much less space on the ground than if the farmer planted the seeds in a garden. This will enable Felicity FFA to explore this side of sustainable agriculture and teach students about its potential.
Tractor Supply Company launched the program in 2016 to provide funding for sustainable agriculture projects in schools. Thanks to this program, Felicity-Franklin FFA will be able to demonstrate sustainable agriculture to its members and help members explore the ever-changing world of agriculture.