Winter Break

Hey guys! 

     Sorry that it's been awhile, but with finals and end-of-semester preparations, I'm sure we've all been very busy ... and are in need of a break! The time to relax and recharge is definitely needed, and the same is true for our Grow Room. 

     Maintenance is an important part of any production system, and the Green Team has found that ours could use some TLC. We have been experiencing some leakage in our drainage pipes, and are starting to have a bit of an algae problem. For this reason, we have decided to shut our entire system down for awhile so we can take care of these problems. Although it is sad to see all of these towers empty again, we know it will lead to a more productive spring semester - an investment in the future, if you will.

     HOWEVER, because it's the holiday season, we want to do our part to help our community. Chartwells will be donating our last Grow Room harvest to local food pantries to help needy students and families right here in the Ozarks. Pictured below is a portion of our harvest from this morning!

... Now that's cool! ❄️

      Hope everyone has a safe and fun break! See you in January!

Species Spotlight 🌱

Happy Friday Everyone!

In honor of the end of another long week, I thought it would be a fun idea to introduce you to a few of our hard-working "employees" ... since they're the ones who do the real heavy-lifting around here anyways.

Presenting the Green Team's nominations for November's "Species Spotlight"

... aka our "employee of the month" 😁

Name: Butterhead Lettuce

Age: 1.5 months

The fourth generation in our grow room this semester, this plant produces gorgeous, thick green growth. Along with its neighbors, it spreads out to fill up our towers very quickly, forming a blanket of delicious salad potential!

Name: Parsley, Giant of Italy

Age: 1.5 months

No harvests from this one yet, but we're getting very close! A beautiful green baby with vigorous growth.

Name: Chervil

Age: 2.75 months

Two harvests to date of this delicate-looking herb. Exhibits beautiful green coloring and rapid growth!

Name: Fine Verde Basil

Age: 2.5 months

A kitchen favorite. This individual (and friends) have produced regular harvests for Blair and Garst for over a month now! Definitely a plant with a can-do kind of attitude.

Name: Olympic Red Kale

Age: 3 months

Beautiful deep purple foliage and rapid growth make this one a favorite as well. Regular harvests for several weeks now!

Feel free to vote for your favorite in the comments, and have a great weekend!

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

Salad Anyone?

Hey y'all! 

Check out what was delivered to the dining halls this morning,

 courtesy of the Green Team!

Unbe-leaf-able amounts of fresh, beautifully green lettuce! 

Grown right here on campus and just waiting to be paired with 

tomatoes and ranch dressing... yum!

Have a great day!

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

EC made E-Z!

Hope everyone had a great week!

Rachel here, and I realized as I was brainstorming for a new blogpost that no one has explained what the Green Team means when we use the term "EC" ... and no, it's not "extra credit" 

Our EC stands for "Electrical Conductivity," and it is a very important component to the overall health and success of your hydroponically-grown plants. (... However, I'll definitely sign for some "Extra Credit" if you already knew that!)

Joking aside, your system's EC is no laughing matter. Simply put, it is a measure of the nutrient concentration found in your growing solution. The hydroponic plants' nutrients exist as mineral salts dissolved in water. Water containing more salts is able to conduct electricity more easily, and this is a great way to test your nutrient concentration! Special meters are used to test EC, and they look similar to the picture below, which is the EC meter we use in the Grow Room.

EC is important to monitor because an excess (EC too high) can cause salt buildup in your growing media, irrigation drippers, etc. and can actually prevent the uptake of nutrients by the roots. Deficiency (EC too low) can cause plants to starve and exhibit various symptoms of sickness based on the lacking nutrient (known as deficiency symptoms).

For more information on EC, its measurement, and why it's so important, I would encourage you to check out Growth Technology's page on Electical Conductivity!

Hope this made understanding EC a little more E-Z!

Till next time,

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert solar radiation into chemical energy. However, like the human eye, photosynthesis only utilizes a tiny fraction of the full electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the sun. This spectral range of Photosynthetically-Active Radiation (PAR) largely coincides with that of the visible spectrum of light and includes wavelengths from about 400 to 700 nanometers.

Plant cells contain light-absorbing molecules called pigments. There are three main pigments essential to photosynthesis, each of which only absorb specific wavelengths of light within the PAR spectrum: Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, and Beta-Carotene. Each of these, more or less, absorb light wavelengths within the blue and red spectrums while reflecting greens and yellows. Because these photosynthetic pigments can only absorb and utilize these particular wavelengths of light, the specific use of red lights and blue lights within their respective spectral ranges is incredibly beneficial to a horticultural operation such as ours.

In the absence of natural sunlight, all of our lighting in the Grow Room is provided by 16 LED light boxes that allow us to carefully control the light spectrum and photoperiod in which our plants are grown. Each of these lights are set on timers and motorized tracks, which allows us to evenly control the duration of light exposure our plants receive. Each light box can be adjusted individually, and the proportions of red, blue, and white light they emit can be changed to meet our specific production needs by increasing or decreasing each color's intensity.

Generally speaking, the photoperiod and proportions of red, blue, and white light that should be used depend upon the stages of plant growth you wish to promote. For instance, compared to germinating seedlings, mature plants often benefit from a lower intensity of red light and higher intensities of blue and white. Some plants benefit from gradual increases in light exposure over the course of their growth, whereas others prefer their photoperiod to gradually diminish. Some plants can even be grown in continuous light exposure, 24 hours a day!

We use lighting conditions that are generally agreeable to most plant species because of the variety of plants we grow. Our plants are produced under 9-12 hours of light per day. Because we aim to extend and promote the vegetative growth of our mature plants, the intensities of red, blue, and white light our plants receive are as follows: 20% red, 80% blue, and 80% white. This is what gives the grow room its striking, purple glow! Our germinating seedlings are grown under full-spectrum fluorescent lamps (but research suggests that intensities of 40% red, 60% blue, and 60% white could also be used).

~ Tori 

AASHE Conference

 Hey y'all!

I am beyond excited to be able to share with you what the Green Team did this past week in San Antonio, Texas. We were privileged to have the opportunity to attend and present at the national AASHE conference! AASHE is the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and we were able to talk with sustainability representatives and concerned students from campuses across the United States! 

It was amazing to see the response to our presentation about what we are doing here at Missouri State. Everyone was so excited to take this back to THEIR campus and try it for themselves. "Anyone can build a hydroponics setup, for any space, on any budget" - this is something that really seemed to resonate with everyone we spoke to. And it's so true!! Being sustainable doesn't have to be expensive, and baby steps can make a huge difference. 

Needless to say, I came back from San Antonio even more excited about my job, and that I'm a part of something making a difference across the country. The fact that we can save money is awesome, but I think even more important is the educational aspect. It's important for people to be conscious of our environment and how what they do every day affects it, but also to know where their food is coming from. Specifically from the standpoint of a College of Ag student, projects like this are a great way to reshape the misconceptions many people have of agriculture... Because farmers feed the world and, as a whole, we (me, my family, and the other 2% of the population) want to do it responsibly. 🌿

As always, feel free to comment below!

Have a great weekend,

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

Dining Hall Harvest

Happy Fall Break Everyone!

Here's a Green Team update so you know what to expect 

when you get back to good ole MOState. 🐻🍁

The dining halls have been stocked with lots of fresh herbs & greens.

The best part? They were grown by yours truly ... in the basement of Kentwood!

Seriously though, how cool is that?

Ready for delivery!

So much produce ...

... and it's all absolutely gorgeous.

What an awesome reminder of what this system is capable of, and how bright 

(and G R E E N) our future can be! 

Look forward to seeing you back on campus!

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

Picture Perfect

Good morning everyone!

I think it goes without saying that I have one of the coolest jobs on campus. I mean, I get to be around these picture-perfect plants every single day! However, I know that many people do not have that privilege, so I have decided to start sharing a lot more photos of these beautiful babies. 🌱 

Here is an awesome example of the  m a g i c  of hydroponics. ✨

This Fine Verde Basil went from seed to these productive plants in less than a month! Crazy right?

Fine Verde Basil at 1 week (on right side)

Fine Verde Basil today

Have a great weekend!

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

First Lettuce Harvest

Good morning everyone!

Just a quick post to share with you what I got to do on this Monday morning.

 ~ Our first harvest of the season for Outtakes!! ~

... And "lettuce" just say, it was a success.  🥗🌱🌿

Happy Monday!

Rachel 👩🏼‍🌾

It's Getting Hot In Here...

Hey y'all!

This week I want to talk about the importance of TEMPERATURE to your growing systems. All species of plants have specific growing temperatures in which they thrive, so it's crucial to do your homework. If you are unable to adjust the temperature of your setup, plant only the species that will do well in the environment that you have to work with!

Lettuce is a great example of a plant that likes relatively cooler temperatures. This garden staple grows best in a range of 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit, but those values also depend on the variety. Much colder or hotter, and the plant will be stunted or die. Warmer temperatures can also cause the lettuce to "bolt" (flower), and be bitter.

Below is a picture of two columns of Bibb lettuce currently in our grow room. Although we do not have a thermostat controlling the temperature of our setup, one side of the room is consistently around five degrees cooler due to the location of our ventilation system. The tower on the left was placed on the cooler side of the room and the tower on the right was placed on the warmer side of the room. All of these plants were started at the same time. Notice the HUGE difference.

The takeaway? Something as simple as five degrees in temperature could be the difference between garden success and failure. So it is definitely worth researching!

Hope this was helpful, and that everyone has a great week!
- Rachel 🌱👩🏼‍🌾

Hi there! Tori here, with a very exciting Green Team update! 🌱

Since the semester began, Rachel and I have been very busy in the Grow Room - planting and transplanting, monitoring and adjusting, researching and experimenting. We started from scratch, and in only one month, we have begun to transform the Grow Room into a production operation we are very proud of. It's been an incredibly rewarding learning experience, and all of our hard work is about to pay off!

Starting tomorrow, the Blair-Shannon Dining Center will be serving our produce, freshly picked from the vertical gardening towers that will be on display there for you to see!

I am beyond excited for you to enjoy our food, and we look forward to providing you with many more nutritious meals in the near future. Check back next week for a look into how we did it so fast!

Just a Tad Salty...

Hey y'all!

Hope everyone has been enjoying this F A L L weather as much as I have been! 🍂

Rachel from the Green Team speaking, and I'm happy to report that the Grow Room is off to a good start! Tori and I are enjoying watching the progress our little ones are making!

After experiencing some irregularities in our EC measurements in our nutrient solution, Tori and I researched the issue and came to the conclusion that we have a buildup of salts in our system. Why is that bad? Excessive salts in the rooting zone can cause stunted plant growth and other problems as well.

Tap water has salts already present in it, but these aren't necessarily nutrients the plants can use. The salts can build up in the tank and growing media (pictured below as white crusty deposits) over time. We completely flushed the system and cleaned the sponges, so hopefully we will start seeing some changes!

We'll keep you posted on our progress, but in the meantime ... have a great weekend everyone!

Rachel 🌿

New Faces of the Green Team!

Hey, y'all!

Classes are underway again here at Missouri State University, and with a fresh start to a new school year come some new faces for the MSU Chartwell's Green Team! Rachel and Tori here, and we are super excited to share our hydroponic adventures with you this coming semester!

Both of us are proud to be students in the Darr College of Agriculture here at MSU. Tori moved here one year ago from her hometown of Houston, Texas, and has loved being a Bear! This semester, she is completing her Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources with an Emphasis in Entomology. At the same time, Tori is also beginning her Master's degree in Plant Science through the Accelerated Masters Program. She is looking forward to learning about hydroponics and sharing her discoveries with you! Rachel is currently a junior and pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Plant Science-Crop Science. She plans to minor in Horticulture and is also a part of the Accelerated Masters Program, through which she hopes to get a Master's degree in Plant Science. Originally from a large beef farm near Hartville, Missouri, Rachel has grown produce her whole life (including selling at Farmers Markets) and and is excited to learn more about hydroponics!

But enough about us, what we really want to share with you is what's been going on in the Grow Room! This semester we are starting totally fresh, which means that the two of us have been very busy planting and transplanting to get things rolling. Coming soon to a dining hall near you...fresh, delicious, and nutritious produce. Stay tuned!

🌱 Here's to a great start of what's sure to be an unbe-leaf-able semester! 🌿

Talk to you soon!
Rachel & Tori

New Seed and Plant Varieties

Hey guys! This week for the blog we are trying something a little different, a video blog. In our video we give you a brief tour of the room as well as introduce you to some new plants we just got in as well as some seed! I have posted a link to the video bellow, hope you enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw2Ac1Qt9yX5dmlQZGlkZVdld1k

Sam and Ally

System Maintenance

Hey guys! I hope everybody has had a fantastic week!
We have a few new starts in the grow room this week! We have started some more basil and kale. We have also added a couple of new plants to the system: radicchio and mustard.
In a hydroponic system, care and maintenance are key in being successful. Lately in the grow room Sam and I have started to run into an issue with clogged emitters. This is a result of algae buildup. Algae formation can take place when your solution has high concentrations of nitrates as well as having exposed stagnant or slow moving water.

The picture above is an example in our system  of an area that has some algae buildup. There are a couple of ways to help prevent buildup. If at all possible you should find a way to not have large areas of exposed water. Having large areas of exposed water increases your potential for buildup and the chance for algae to get in your system. The picture below is an example of having as little exposed area as possible. 

If you are unable to have this in your system, you will just have to make sure to clean your system out regularly and to watch your emitters for clogging. If you do get clogged emitters you can either blow on one end to get the algae out or you can soak them in a 2 parts water to 1 part bleach solution like pictured below.

Sam and Ally

Harvesting

Hey ya'll! I hope you guys are having a fantastic week!
This past week in the grow room we got to do our first harvest! We were able to harvest some chervil and basil. Since each plant needs to be harvested different ways, we thought that we would walk you through the process on harvesting both chervil and basil!
To harvest chervil you should wait until the plants are at least 5 inches in height. When you go to harvest you just need a pair of clippers, we use needle nose ones. These aren't as bulky as bypass ones and we find them easier to use.

When you go to harvest the chervil, make your cut about half an inch up from the base of the plant. This leaves an adequate amount of tissue for regrowth if you would like to get a second harvest out of your plants. Once harvested it is best to rinse your produce to insure there are no containments on your chervil.

Prior to the grow room, I had never heard of chervil and didn't know what it could be used in. In case I'm not the only one, I found a recipe that you could use your chervil in and have provided the link below.
Basil can be harvested at the same height as chervil, at least 5 inches. When harvesting basil, the cut needs to be made right above the first node on the stem. This leaves a couple branches on the plant and helps to restimulate regrowth giving you multiple harvests.

Again, after harvesting it is recommended to rinse your produce. Once you have done so your produce is ready for consumption! Between harvests of different plants, make sure to rinse off your clippers each time. This will decrease the potential for the spread of any pests if they are present.
Basil is personally one of my favorite herbs and can be used in a variety of cooking recipes. I have provided a link to a recipe below that you could incorporate your basil into. Not only does basil taste good in a meal, it also smells amazing! I think the smell of basil can be seen as a stress reliving smell and can make any space smell refreshing.

Here are the recipe links!
Chervil: http://camillestyles.com/food-and-drink/morning-meals/baked-egg-with-ricotta-thyme-chervil/
Basil:http://kitchenbowl.com/recipes?q=Basil%20mozzarella%20grilled%20cheese

Happy harvesting everybody!
Ally and Sam

Planting!

Hey everybody! I hope you all have had a chance to enjoy the amazing weather we are having!
This week has been a pretty exciting week in the grow room. We are preparing to do our first harvest here soon of some basil and chervil (expect to see a blog on this process). We have started a few new seed varieties to diversify the crops that we have growing as well. We have 1 new variety of  basil, kale, and shisho! We hope to be able to start transplanting these into the system soon!
Since we started a bunch of plants this week we thought it would be a good idea to talk about what it takes to start plants. To start with you are going to need a plug flat filled will your form of media. This media can be oasis cubes or what you can find at any hydroponic supply store. Once you have filled your flat you can proceed to soak it with water. This can be done by placing the flat in a sink of water or by running water over the flat, this helps to "water the seeds in". After your media has soaked up as much water as it can you can proceed to place your seeds within the media. There should be a small hole in the top of the media for easy seed placement. After this is all done you have your seeds started! Now all you have to do is monitor and care for your plants! You don't want to over water your plants, this can be just as detrimental to your plants as under watering. To make sure your plants need water check the whole cube to see the moisture level.
Happy planting!

Checking pH

Hey guys I hope you all have had a great week! This is Sam and Ally again with the MSU Green team. Today we are going to share with you how to check your system's pH. Checking the pH of your system regularly is vital for the health of your plants.
The optimum pH for plants is anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5, this is where most of the nutrients needed by the plants is readily available for uptake. For our hydroponic system however we are trying to maintain it between 5.8 and 6.2. Checking the pH of your system is pretty simple and all it requires is a pH pen and a couple of extra minutes. To start you can take a sample of your solution and stick in a cup so it is more accessible for you to test. Once you have done this you can remove the cap off the end of the pen and swirl it around for couple of seconds and then let it sit in the solution. Once it has sat in the solution for 2 to 3 minutes you should have an accurate reading! So then you just dump your sample back into the system and replace the cap on the pen. If you are ever worried that you are not getting an accurate reading, there are calibration solutions that are available for you to check and calibrate your pen with.
Just like any others tools you might have, your pH pen does need to be treated with care. If you are to look at the bottom of your pen you will see a little bulb at the end, this needs to constantly be moist. If this were to dry out your pen is a gone and you just replace it. To make sure this doesn't happen to you, after each use you can place a couple of drops on it and you should be good to go!
Today we checked the pH of our system and it was at 5.6, a little lower than we would like to have it. To raise it we just had a few inches of tap water into our system. We let it run through the system to equalize itself and checked it again after about an hour. Upon the second checking it read 5.8, which we were ok with. This is the first check we have done on our system and are going to start doing it every other day just to make sure things are running smoothly. If your pH is ever too basic, there are solutions made to lower it. This solution can be found at any store that has hydroponic supplies. This solution is an acid so be careful when using it.
I hope you guys have found this information beneficial. If you have any questions please post them in the comments below!

Sam and Ally

Welcome from the MSU Chartwell's Green Team

Hey guys! This is Sam and Ally with the Chartwell's MSU Green Team. We wanted to introduce ourselves and catch you up to speed with what we have been working on!
Sam and I are both students in MSU's College of Agriculture. Sam is an environmental plant science major with an emphasis in crop science with a minor in horticulture. I am earning my major in environmental plant sciences as well but I have an emphasis in horticulture with a minor in agronomy.
Chartwells and MSU wanted to take a step towards being more sustainable so they came up with this marvelous idea of starting a hydroponic grow room in the Kentwood dining hall! The purpose of this hydroponic room is to supply fresh produce to the dining halls and kitchens on campus. Currently we are growing a variety of herbs, such as parsley and Basil, as well as Red Cherokee Lettuce. We have plans to expand on these species of plants as well!
If you are interested in keeping up with our progress and seeing many pictures follow our blog! We are excited for this journey and hope you will join us!