The plant and soil students in Samantha Goen’s classes are growing and selling lettuce in the PHS Cafeteria. This means PHS may not need to buy some produce for a while.

Goen and her classes are selling the lettuce for $1.25 per pound, and they have almost sold 150 pounds as of October 28.

Growing and selling lettuce began before Goen arrived, but she has chosen to continue the work that started three years ago.

Goen has encountered several challenges in growing and selling lettuce.

“One challenge we face in growing and selling our lettuce is that we can’t always control when something breaks down in the hydroponic system. However, we turn these situations into valuable learning opportunities—whether it’s troubleshooting equipment, understanding the nutrients that go into each unit, or learning how to fix unexpected problems as they arise,” said Goen.

Besides all this, she is also trying to grow other things alongside the lettuce, including cucumbers and tomatoes.

Another person involved with getting the PHS lettuce in the lunchroom is OPAA! Director Shelby Sloan.

“It not only gives us a fresh product to serve daily, but also gives kids the knowledge to use to hopefully one day help keep their family fed! Farmers are the heart of America,” said Sloan.