Bruce Randolph High School in Denver, CO now has an indoor farm, courtesy of Urban-gro Inc. and the nonprofit Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) – a New York City based non-profit organization promoting a youth-led food justice movement in underrepresented communities.
“We are both humbled and thrilled to be teaming-up with Teens for Food Justice to help bring healthy food and education resources to local communities,” Urban-gro CEO Bradley Natrass said in a statement. “As a leader serving the global indoor CEA market, this partnership gives our team the opportunity to share our unparalleled industry knowledge with the next generation of innovators for the direct benefit of their community while enhancing education around sustainable growing practices.”
The Bruce Randolph project is TFFJ’s first indoor farm in Colorado. The hydroponic vertical farm will be able to grow large quantities of produce, with faster food production, while using a fraction of the land and water of conventional farming. The farm is expected to produce as much as 1,000 pounds of fresh produce every month.
“This is another example of how partnerships between DPS schools and local, state, and national partners can benefit both the school and our community,” said DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “The Bruce Randolph students are learning about urban gardening while providing fruits and vegetables for the school and their surrounding community.”
The project is funded by a $500,000 Healthy Foods for Denver’s Kids grant, along with $1.14 million in municipal bond funds.
“It is truly exciting to partner with Urban-gro and leverage its expertise and leadership within the commercial indoor agriculture sector as we combine forces to build healthy food access where it is needed most, while also activating a new generation of leaders to drive innovative, sustainable food systems in Denver,” TFJJ CEO Katherine Soll said.