Elliott County High School receives new container farm through AppHarvest

SANDY HOOK, Ky. (WTVQ) – AppHarvest, the AgTech leader, is expanding its educational high-tech container farm program for Appalachian high school students as it unveils a new container farm unit at Elliott County High School in Sandy Hook.

The container farm’s arrival was celebrated by guests such as AppHarvest Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb, Senior Adviser to the Governor Rocky Adkins and Gov. Andy Beshear.

“AppHarvest is helping to meet the increasing food supply demands and creating good jobs and new investments right here in Eastern Kentucky,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Today we see more of that Team Kentucky spirit with Jonathan Webb, Superintendent Stephens and Principal Holbrook working together to create innovative educational opportunities for our students. To build that better Kentucky that we all want, this is exactly what we need – everyone working together.”

The Elliott County High School container farm is the fourth addition to AppHarvest’s program in 2021 and the sixth educational container farm to date.

The container farm program was launched in 2018 and demonstrates AppHarvest’s ongoing commitment to cultivating interest in high-tech farming as it seeks to create America’s AgTech capital from inside Appalachia. Each retrofitted shipping container acts as a hands-on agricultural classroom for students, allowing them to grow and provide fresh leafy greens to their classmates and those in need in their communities.

AppHarvest has opened container farms in Eastern Kentucky at Madison Central High School in Richmond; Breathitt High School in Jackson; Shelby Valley High School in Pikeville; and Rowan County Senior High School and AppHarvest’s flagship farm at Rockcastle County High School in Morehead.

Elliott County High School’s container farm includes space to grow up to 2,760 seedlings and 2,960 mature plants all at once in a nutrient film technique (NFT) system. NFT is a water-saving system in which plant roots are continuously fed all necessary water and nutrients by a shallow stream, also called “film.” Excess water drains to a holding tank and is then recirculated. This system of high-tech growing sets the Elliott County container apart from AppHarvest’s other educational containers, which have operated hydroponically and vertically.

“One of our goals at AppHarvest is to build an AgTech capital right here in Appalachia,” said Jonathan Webb, AppHarvest Founder & CEO. “We want to see communities across the region use technology to bring farms to life. And in five years from now, it’ll be leaders from these very programs coming to us with ideas on how we continue to evolve and change agriculture.”

Makayla Rose, Elliott County High School agriculture teacher, will lead the newest container program.

The curriculum provided by AppHarvest will cover topics such as high-tech growing and an introductory course on local food systems and food resiliency.

“This collaboration with AppHarvest creates an opportunity for our students and community to have access to hands-on learning and curriculum that will enrich our students’ learning experience and possibly send them down a rewarding professional path they may have never considered otherwise,” said Rose.

“This state-of-the-art container farm engages our students and community in the business, social and science aspects of the agriculture of the future,” said Elliott County Schools Superintendent Debbie Stephens. “To be able to offer this experience to gain a new perspective on an industry so valuable to our state, with many career opportunities within, is something we value here in Elliott Country.”

For more information, visit www.appharvest.com.