Carroll County High School senior feeds students using a hydroponic greenhouse

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A senior at Carroll County High School is feeding his fellow students using hydroponics. The fresh veggies he grows in the school greenhouse are used in the cafeteria.

Senior Peyton Murray works in a hydroponic greenhouse as a co-op with Agriculture teacher Mackenzie Wright, growing lettuce and trying his green thumb at cherry tomatoes. Wright offered Murray the job after he took a food production class last year.

Hydroponics involve growing plants without soil.

"I took her up on the offer because I thought it would be a good opportunity for work experience," Murray said.

Murray, who might pursue a career in food agriscience or as a butcher, started growing lettuce, which is served in the high school cafeteria, at the beginning of the year. The lettuce is grown on three large tables with 300 squares for the seed pod.

One pod can generate one head of lettuce. Even though this growing process doesn't need soil, the pH and conductivity levels have to be watched and changed daily.

"If every table were to be successful, we would get 900 heads of lettuce,” Murray said in a news release.

Murray, harvested his first crop this October and hopes to try his hand at other vegetables.

"We can grow practically anything," he said. "I definitely think we can expand our variety. Really, I would like to be able to provide more."