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Growing vegetables indoors — without soil
Hydroponics and
aeroponics can
provide fresh
produce even
during winter
By DICK MASON
EO Media Group
L
A GRANDE — No soil,
no problem.
An increasing num-
ber of students in the
La Grande School District and at
Eastern Oregon University are
discovering what it is like to grow
vegetables without soil.
The students are doing this via
hydroponics and aeroponics, both
of which involve the process of
growing plants by supplying all
necessary nutrients in the plants’
water supply rather than through
soil. Hydroponic systems have
plant roots suspended in nutrient
filled water. Aeroponic systems,
by contrast, have plant roots sus-
pended in air which are soaked fre-
quently with nutrient-filled water.
An aeroponics program began
operating in La Grande School
District in 2020-2021 with funds
from the Oregon Department of
Education Farm to Child Nutrition
Program. The grant has allowed
for the purchase of tower gardens
structures, which are vertical aero-
ponics growing devices. Plants
are grown within the six-foot tall
structures in which they receive
nutrient rich water.
The La Grande School Dis-
trict’s aeroponic program is based
at Central Elementary School
where it is run by Finley Tevlin,
a FoodCorps Service member.
FoodCorps is funded partially by
the federal government’ Ameri-
Corps system and operates under
the AmeriCorps system.
Tevlin is helping students in the
school district grow a wide variety
Dick Mason/EO Media Group
Growing plants without soil is suitable for small-scale operations.
of vegetation aeroponics including
peas, beans, basil, tomatoes, bibb
lettuce and kale. Some of the kale
grown by students is now being
stations where students grow plants
under the guidance of teachers
Tevlin has trained. He said students
take great interest in the plants
something that students grasp yet
continue to find amazing.
“That the plants are getting all
they need from air and water is
“I LOVE GARDENING AND THIS GIVES ME A
CHANCE TO DO IT IN THE WINTER.”
— Finley Tevin, La Grande School District, talking about the district’s hydroponics and aeroponics program
served to La Grande School Dis-
trict students at lunch.
“This is helping us to have fresh
vegetables in the winter,’’ Tevlin
said.
All of the La Grande School
District’s schools have aeroponic
grown at the tower gardens and fol-
low their progress closely. He noted
that over the holiday break many of
the plants doubled in size.
“That blew their minds,’’ Tevlin
said.
The concept of aeroponics is
very cool for the children,’’ Tevlin
said.
He said that although the tower
gardens are productive and great
for growing gardens indoors,
they will never replace traditional
agriculture.
“They are not a solution for the
world,’’ Finely said.
He said hydroponic and aero-
ponic systems have inefficiencies
which prevent them from being
able to operate on a large scale.
“They are resource and energy
insensitive,’’ Tevlin said.
One reason is that tower gar-
den structures are made of plas-
tic, and another is that water with
added nutrients is needed. Tevlin
said it is much simpler and better
to grow plants in the natural soil
available.
“Plants do need soil and soil
needs plants to support each other
within the ecosystem. This rela-
tionship keeps the planet healthy,’’
Tevlin said.
Still, Tevlin said aeroponics
systems have a valuable place in
the classroom.
“They teach students to learn
about the structure of plants and
how they function,’’ Tevlin said.
At Eastern Oregon University
its food service program, which
is contracted to Sodexo, USA, a
food and facilities management
company, operates a hydroponic
tower station at the dining hall in
the Hoke Union Building. It was
set up there by Ron Wells, the
general manager of Sodexo’s food
service operations at Eastern.
The station, located in Hoke’s
meal serving area, provided East-
ern with a variety of fresh vegeta-
bles this past winter.
“It is a great thing for the stu-
dents to experience in the middle
of winter,’’ Wells said.
He also said the tower garden
is a good educational tool for stu-
dents for it may spark an interest
in hydroponics.
“Students check on it every
day,’’ Wells said.
The food service general man-
ager is also delighted to have the
hydroponic station on a personal
level.
“I love gardening and this
gives me a chance to do it in the
winter,’’ he said.