A shipping container in the middle of EPIC Campus in Littleton, Colorado, has become an unexpected training ground for the next generation of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) professionals. Inside, high school students grow crops hydroponically from seed to harvest, building technical knowledge and discovering new career paths in a rapidly evolving sector.
Hands-on farming meets technical certification
The vertical hydroponic farm, built by FarmBox Foods, operates as part of the school's Natural Resources Pathway. Students manage crop production from start to finish, applying lessons in plant physiology, hydroponics, and food safety, while working toward an industry-recognized BASF plant science certification.
"We're exposing students to the entire system that supports food production, whether that's plant science, computer science, engineering, or even entrepreneurship," says Mike Montgomery, Natural Resources Pathway Lead at EPIC Campus. "It's not just about growing food."
Connecting agriculture to diverse career opportunities
Montgomery emphasizes that for many students, the farm reveals opportunities beyond agriculture alone. "They may take this because they're interested in science or they like the hands-on aspect," he explains. "But they haven't seen that this could be a career."
The program introduces students to multiple entry points into the food and agriculture industry. "It could be on the plant side, it could be on the computer science side, it could be on the engineering side," says Montgomery. "There are so many different ways that kids can connect their interests to what we're doing in here."
Real-world food production with community impact
Beyond technical skills, the farm connects students to the wider food system. Crops grown on campus supply the school's nutrition services and a local pay-what-you-can café. "While Littleton is considered a fairly affluent area, there are still people in our community who don't have enough to eat."
For students, seeing their produce served in the cafeteria or distributed to the community reinforces the real-world impact of their work. "They take a great deal of pride, from seed all the way to harvest, to delivery to our partners."
Re-engaging students through applied learning
The farm has also provided a pathway for students who struggled in traditional classroom settings. "Kids that hadn't been engaged at their traditional high school, they're super engaged here," says Montgomery.
With enrollment in the plant science strand increasing, Montgomery believes the program offers a replicable model for workforce development in CEA. "We need to have these experiences for kids," he says. "I think it's the future of food."
For more information:
FarmBox Foods
www.farmboxfoods.com
EPIC Campus 
Mike Montgomery, Natural Resources Pathway Lead
www.littletonpublicschools.net/o/epiccampus