Following on from the success of our Future Classroom project, I wanted to shine a light on sustainable growing practices to solve a wicked problem; food scarcity. As global populations increase our children face an uncertain future. Food security is key and aligns with the UNESCO SDG 'Zero Hunger. ' We have created a digital food garden out of recycled and upcycled piping. This is Digital Greens
A group of students designed and then built a digital food garden. They learned how to code Raspberry-Pis to help regulate growing variables such as; temperature, water flow, and nutrient solution. In one experiment 'Nature. vs. The Machine' students set up a fish tank (nature) to race against a Raspberry Pi (machine) to see which one could grow salad leaves first.
Inspired by the Future Food SPACE10 project, students in the Shaftesbury STEAM program built hydroponic vertical growing columns and wheels. The fish were added to explore how fish waste can be used as a natural nutrient through the practices of aquaponics.
The result was fresh greens delivered with zero Airmiles! This is a high-impact project that is scalable in most settings.
The Future Classroom project has attracted global attention since its inception.
Digital Greens is the latest extension of this innovation, showcasing how technology and nature can work together in symbiosis to solve a problem our children face; food scarcity.
The project is at the embryonic stage currently and the group has been running a series of trial experiments and controlled tests. We are excited to see where the innovation goes.
Get in touch! We work with a range of schools across the globe and can buzz you into the Future Classroom live so you can see the innovation live. We have plans to set up a webcam to provide a live feed accessed online. This is coming soon!
