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By Andrew Soliman

A new kind of farm has sprouted at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, one that grows upward and indoors.

The first-ever vertical farming facility on campus packs up to 8,800 plants in a high-tech shipping container constructed by Freight Farms and donated to CPP through a partnership with the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Southern California Edison (SCE). The project immerses CPP students in hands-on research and sustainable food production in a compact, climate-controlled system.

The 40-foot container grows leafy greens and herbs across from rows of floor-to-ceiling LED-lit panels. Thai and Italian basil, mint, thyme, baby bok choy, mizuna and tatsoi grow indoors.

The hydroponic system uses about 5 gallons of water a day and can produce up to 6 tons of food annually. That’s equivalent to the annual production of 2 acres of traditional farming and using a fraction of the water required, according to the National Park Service.

Inside the grow pod, fourth-year plant science student Shane Wackerman is learning what modern agriculture looks like up close. As head cultivator, he helps oversee the daily care of the crops. Wackerman says the pod’s controlled, soil-free environment highlights how technology can make food production more efficient.

“Everything we grow here is pest- and disease-free,” he says. “You can harvest it and eat it right away.”

For him, the PolyX learning experience goes beyond technology; it’s about responsibility and impact. Knowing that the produce will be eaten by students and community members motivates him to show up each day and keep improving the system.

The vertical farm is a living classroom for students in the Huntley College of Agriculture. Under the guidance of Nursery Manager Kelsey Swayze (’16, agriculture science), students mix fertilizers, monitor plant growth, harvest crops and follow food safety protocols. Several courses have incorporated the facility into their curriculum, including Fundamentals of Agribusiness, where students conduct a market analysis and feasibility study for new crops.

“This project is a perfect example of Become by Doing,” Swayze says. “Students are gaining experience in sustainable food production while helping feed our campus community.”

The vertical farm’s impact already extends beyond the classroom. The college donated its first harvest of 29 packages of lettuce to the Poly Pantry and continues to donate twice monthly to both the Poly Pantry and the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Free Farm Stand, a community food program. It also supplies fresh, student-grown produce to the Farm Store, Dining Services, campus catering and Innovation Brew Works, which uses the mint for its cucumber-mint seltzer and craft beer.

In addition to donating the container, EPRI and Southern California Edison gather real-time data on energy use, fertilizer input and crop yield. This data will help researchers and industry partners evaluate how vertical farming can reduce environmental impact while supporting reliable, local food production. “Thanks to EPRI and SCE’s generosity, our students have access to industry-level technology that supports both education and sustainability,” Swayze says.