The Farm at Volunteers of America is a hydroponic urban garden growing fresh produce from a repurposed shipping container, and offering a range of programs from a veteran-focused agriculture therapy initiative to food pantry distribution and workforce development.
Since joining VOA, Farm Program Manager, Jason DeLooze, has worked to strengthen connections between The Farm and the broader community to address the increasingly widespread systemic issue of food insecurity in Rochester.
In a recent partnership with the Rochester City School District, VOA has developed a youth education curriculum that teaches children about sustainable growing practices. This hands-on approach encourages healthier eating habits, reduces food waste, and helps children appreciate the effort involved in producing food.
“Kids need to know where their food comes from,” said DeLooze. “Hydroponics is one of the industries where we have to get youth involved the most. This school curriculum might get them thinking, is this a future industry that I can go into?”
As interest in hydroponics grows, VOA will open a second hydroponic container at The Farm and expand its crop variety beyond fast-growing crops like lettuce to include more calorie-dense foods like turnips and other crops such as tomatoes, strawberries, and corn.
This addition will create more hands-on learning opportunities while increasing The Farm’s capacity to supply nutritious produce to the community.