NOW IN SEASON: How two brothers

How an old shipping container became a school garden of Knowledge

By Julie K. Yates | Photography by Julie Yates and Sarah Longenecker

his is amazing! We need this and we have to figure out how to get it!” were the words Ben Carter, director of career and technical education for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) first uttered upon seeing a Rubicon Agriculture Living Learning Lab AgroBox—a onetime industrial shipping container riding on a flatbed railroad car.

“It sparked my interest in the learning opportunities that were possible,” he explained. With a sleek white interior and gleaming silver gauges measuring all aspects of a controlled environment, it looked like an engaging place to capture the attention of chemistry and biology students. An added bonus: The hydroponic mini-farm had the capability of producing leafy greens and other vegetables at a fast rate while using fewer resources than a traditional outside garden. And the resulting produce can be used to supplement a school’s food-service program.

Rubicon Agriculture is headed by CEO Chris Moorman and is the combined brainchild of his brother Eric Moorman and two friends, Pat Burton and Jesse Robbins. After graduating from Purdue University, Chris worked for several years as a commodity trader before taking a yearlong trip around the world. While on a 27-hour train ride through South Africa, he met a man who repurposed used shipping containers into prefab homes. As his travels continued, he kept noticing empty shipping containers in various ports and realized that although they were worthless without a cargo, there must be an upcycling idea for them somewhere.

One Saturday morning out of sheer boredom, the friends attended a “Doomsday Preppers” convention at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The booths featured equipment needed to survive and become self-sufficient if society should collapse due to a catastrophic emergency, and they found themselves absorbed by a display on hydroponic farming. With their individual varied skill sets, such as knowledge of programmable logic controllers and pumping systems, the idea of using recycled shipping containers to hydroponically grow produce came together.

By July 2015, Rubicon Agriculture became a business: A source for securing the used containers from Burlington Northern Railroad was found and after constructing an initial prototype, the partners came away with an increased knowledge to build viable, successful AgroBoxes. Today, these 40-foot shipping containers—which take up the space of six parking spaces—are outfitted with LED lighting as well as automation for controlling water recirculation, temperature, ventilation and pH levels. A television screen and camera are installed so the interior can be monitored at all times and long-distance learning

Carter became aware of Rubicon Agriculture through Kim Brand, president of an IPS Community Partner, 1st Maker Space. “Every student has an inherent desire to make something,” said Brand, “and with IPS’s commitment to a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum, it was a natural connection. I also knew Byran High School in Omaha had been using an AgroBox since August 2016 to teach urban agriculture methods.”

Even though agencies such as Indy Food Council cite that approximately 90 percent of items offered in area grocery stores are grown and produced somewhere other than Indiana, “Agro still employs a lot of people in the state,” said Moorman. “And,” he added, “the fact that urban areas such as Indianapolis are seeing a rise in food deserts, where certain city neighborhoods are without nearby grocery stores, indicates a real need for educating future workers for controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) jobs.”

Carter agrees. “I like to think about future career opportunities for students. Some statistics say that by 2020, 10 percent of produce farming will be conducted by CEA means.”

Shortridge High School was selected for this innovative learning opportunity to debut at the start of the 2017–18 school year. Since produce grown in the AgroBox is served to students in the cafeteria, funding was secured within the IPS Food Service Department using monies from a USDA Farm to School Grant in addition to a vocational education Perkins Grant. There will be cross-curriculum opportunities such as advanced manufacturing and program logic controlling as well as partnerships with Purdue University and Ivy Tech that will enable students to gain certifications.

As for future vocational applications the AgroBox offers schools? Moorman’s eyes lit up as he explained the possibilities. “Five shipping containers can be stacked on top of each other; a café and or store could be housed at ground level with farming on top,” he said. Currently though, while there is no such system in place, one thing’s for certain: Shortridge students will soon get to experience this cutting-edge technology. What Happens When Kids Grow Their Own Food? Besides the produce grown in the AgroBox’s controlled environment, Shortridge students also have the opportunity to experience traditional outdoor gardens. Overseen by parent volunteer Cathy McElroy, a chef at Duos in Indianapolis, the gardens are not only a riot of color and beauty, but also an irresistible ploy to encourage students to eat their vegetables. McElroy’s mantra is “Love Fresh Food” and her enthusiasm is contagious as she talks about the courtyard garden and street-side raised beds.

Edible Indy: Where did the idea of creating a student garden come from?

Cathy McElroy: The neighborhood surrounding the school is a food desert; there are no grocery stores nearby. In the cafeteria, all the kids see is plasticwrapped food. Why would we expect them to know about fresh food without seeing where it comes from?

EI: Has the administration been supportive?

CM: I was one of several who nominated Principal Shane O’Day for United Way’s Hubbard LifeChanging Educator Award, which he recently won. He realizes that the gardens promote healthy living and afford students the opportunity to be food conscious.

EI: How is it funded?

CM: At first, I either contributed plants myself or solicited donations from nearby business. This past year I applied for and received a grant from the Foundation for Complex Health Care Solutions. Research shows that when kids grow their own food, they will eat it and the foundation felt the garden program promoted preventative measures to maintain good health.

Shortridge High School outdoor garden overseen by Chef Cathy McElroy