Seedleaves launches program to bring vertical farming into schools

Seedleaves has announced the launch of 'The Urban Growing Club', an innovative new part of Seedleaves that is revolutionizing vertical farming in schools. The program is designed to bring vertical towers into classrooms, community groups, and nursing homes, with a primary focus on schools initially.

The Urban Growing Club is a comprehensive program that consists of five key elements.

The first is the three vertical towers, which are designed to help students grow plants indoors under lights all year round. The towers are easy to use and provide an ideal environment for plants to thrive.

Students love growing with them, according to the company – they are a little futuristic looking but also grow plants extremely quickly.

The second element is the planting plan and years' worth of seeds, which have been carefully selected to provide a wide range of plants that can be grown indoors. This provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about different types of plants and how to grow them effectively.

Leafy greens, herbs, edible flowers, and fruiting plants like tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes all grow well with the towers and are part of The Urban Growing Club's year-long growing schedule.

The third element of the Urban Growing Club is the online videos, tutorials, and printable curriculum ideas. These resources are designed to provide additional support for students as they embark on their indoor gardening journey. The aim is to provide a comprehensive learning experience that is both fun and educational. The online lessons are designed to be fun for the students and light-hearted but informative. Then the lessons for the teachers are more detailed and will mean that a school will always have the resource for any teacher to take over the club if needed. Printable curriculum lessons have been developed in the USA by a university and are available for all year groups.

Fourth is to provide remote maintenance for schools that join the club, with a team available to answer any questions or address any problems via Whatsapp for the business channel within four hours. This ensures that members receive the support they need to grow the club and if they have any problem at all we are there to resolve the problem.

Finally, the Urban Growing Club offers monthly challenges that provide cross-curricular fun opportunities for students to further their knowledge about plants and their relationship with the environment. These challenges are designed to be both engaging and educational, helping students develop new skills and knowledge.

In the USA, 10,000 aeroponic towers have already been installed in schools and integrated into the curriculum (7,000 schools in the USA use TowerFarms from Seedleaves).

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for schools in the UK to promote environmental sustainability and social responsibility. By growing fresh produce with a Tower Garden in schools, students can learn about sustainable agriculture practices, reduce food waste, and contribute to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).