Site Story: Ready, Set, BUILD!

Hydroponics in Anchorage and Racing to Build a Grow Tower
​By Leah Shaffer, FSWCD VISTA '19-20

The weekend of September 20th, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel from Fairbanks to Anchorage in a VISTA capacity with my supervisor, Mel. We were heading down to Anchorage to run a hydroponics workshop and visit Alaska Seeds of Change (AKSoC), the vertical hydroponic farm and youth services program that my VISTA project is based on.

We headed out to Alaska Seeds of Change where we were met by Sara Renard, the AKSoC staff coordinator. We stopped to discuss the successes and challenges of both AKSoC and the project I am working on, the Fairbanks Urban Hydroponic Farm (FUHF), and offered each other advice on methods of best practice.

After our mini problem-solving brainstorm, Sara took us on a tour of the facility. We saw the youth services room featuring a take-what-you-need closet, full access kitchen, and mental health counseling room. Then we moved into the greenhouse where we walked through rows of hydroponic towers and tasted lettuce and herbs. After exchanging business cards, we said our goodbyes. Mel and I were off to prepare for our workshop!
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The next day started early as Mel and I headed over to the Z. J. Loussac Public Library to set up for the workshop. Our students for the day, all teachers by trade, arrived at nine and we got right into the hydroponics education. Mel took them through a PowerPoint to teach them all about gardening in the classroom, from soil fertilization to which types of seeds will grow best. Just before lunch we got up on our feet and explored different interactive stations, each with an easy classroom activity the teachers could do with their own students. Then after lunch, it was all hands on deck to build a seven foot tall hydroponic grow tower. 

With power drills out and at the ready, instruction packets in hand, and disassembled buckets, pipes, and screws scattered around the floor we were given a challenge: build the tower in 1.5 hours, beat the previous workshop’s record and someone will get to take the grow tower home. With our deadline looming in the near future, we rushed into action, naturally splitting into groups to tackle different aspects of the tower. I got to work helping with the sump basin, which is the foundation of the tower and holds all the water. ​

While working I was able to chat with some of the teachers about the challenges they face in their schools, most of which had to do with funding. We also talked about how much their students love having green plants in the room. Teachers commented that it calms their students, helps them focus, teaches them how to be kind and caring and keeps them interested in coming to class because they want to see their plants. After an hour and a half, almost to the minute, we shouted success! With the grow tower standing tall and complete, we took off our protective eye wear and called it a (great) day. ​​​