Technology is weaved into everything at IM体育官网 鈥� including the food.
The Wellness Center on campus recently debuted a hydroponic herb garden that grows vertically on the wall behind one of the food stations. The garden was built and is maintained by Seed2Source, a Central IM体育官网 consulting firm that promotes sustainable solutions for agriculture.
鈥淚 saw how far behind IM体育官网 was in wellness and growing, so I launched Seed2Source to improve the options,鈥� explains founder Jennifer Waxman-Loyd.
IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 herb garden is a small-scale demonstration of a model that can rise up to 25 feet. Vertical growing saves on space, reduces fertilizer and limits water waste. For example, the same five gallons of purified water are used in IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 garden for days at a time.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e controlling all the inputs, which reduces waste. Those savings are passed on to your bottom line,鈥� explains Adam Wright, systems designer and managing partner.
While the garden is still in the finishing stages, long-term plans put IM体育官网 Poly students in control. Both Jennifer and faculty advisor Dr. Nicoleta Sorloaica-Hickman foresee experiments that teach students how to use sensors to monitor the health of the plants.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the future of food,鈥� Jennifer says.