Across the country, universities are beginning to find new opportunities to examine sustainability and the energy required for growing in a variety of climate conditions. The work begins with an educational greenhouse, overseen by a team of specialists from universities, technology companies and greenhouse companies.

The collaborative approach through an educational greenhouse is equipping researchers, educators and innovators with new information about the need for consistent growing conditions across an increasingly changing set of environmental factors. Here are some of the benefits of these types of teams:

Research: The controlled conditions of an educational greenhouse make it ideal for testing new technology and developing research projects. A greenhouse allows teams to manipulate variables such as moisture, sunlight exposure and other factors that may affect outcomes in a research study. These capabilities are particularly important when multiple universities are working on a project that may span across multiple campuses and climates.

Greenhouses produce important information on energy consumption and climate control, making it possible for universities to publish their findings that contribute to the broader field of knowledge.

Curriculum Development: An educational greenhouse offers universities the opportunity to utilize the latest trends and technologies. As a result, the curriculum offered to students is current and removes any potential gap between industry developments and educational pathways.

In addition, collaboration between greenhouse developers, universities and technology companies allows for the addition of guest lecturers in a campus environment. They may offer specialized courses in areas like hydroponics or sustainable growing practices.

Sustainability: The collaboration between university researchers, greenhouse specialists and technology leaders creates a unique meeting of the minds when it comes to sustainable growing. It provides the perfect setting for brainstorming, innovation and best practices. From energy efficiency to conservation and organic growing methods, growers find new methods and gain new perspectives on sustainability.

Students in the agriculture, horticulture or environmental engineering programs may be able to earn certifications related to sustainability that make their degrees more marketable when they graduate. An educational greenhouse provides the perfect setting.

Resources: Universities may find that there is an educational greenhouse accessible to them through programs from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Universities may want to look into the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which offers a total of $77.8 million to research projects like these, particularly in areas of the country often overlooked for greenhouse research. The University of New Mexico, Santa Fe Community College and the University of South Dakota are just a few of the academic institutions utilizing this program.

Ready to learn more about the possibility of an educational greenhouse? Stuppy is here to answer your questions, walk you through what the building process would be like and how soon you might expect to be able to do your research. Contact us to get started!