HERMON — Students at Edwards-Knox Central School eat fresh lettuce each week, all thanks to some of their classmates.

The school’s agricultural program produces approximately 27 heads of freshly grown lettuce each week through hydroponic growing. That romaine never leaves the school. It is brought directly to the cafeteria to be prepared for student meals.

Michael Gault, the school’s 7-12 agriculture and technology teacher, leads the Farm-to-Table Program.

“The kids feel great about giving food to the food chain right here at E-K,” said Gault. “As soon as we harvest the lettuce, we are putting seedlings into the columns to get the next batch growing.”

Gault, who has been teaching at Edwards-Knox for more than 30 years, said it took a large amount of research to figure out how to grow hydroponic lettuce and how to do it well. Gault built a vertical hydroponic system to allow optimal growth of the lettuce.

Today, each batch of romaine can be grown from seed to harvest in just six weeks.

“The taste of the lettuce is really good,” said Gault. “It is some of the best lettuce that I’ve ever tried, and the kids agree.”

“I think the students like to eat the lettuce the most because it's really fresh,” said Beau Bidwell, a senior at Edwards-Knox. “They know the idea of how it's grown, and they know what they're putting into their bodies.”

Bidwell, who is expected to attend SUNY Morrisville in the fall to study horticulture, took over managing the vertical hydroponic system for the second half of the school year, after seventh graders got it going in September.

His work often includes planting the seeds, monitoring pH levels, placing the plants under light, covering them with plastic and cycling the plants to ensure the cafeteria has a steady supply of lettuce.

“What I love doing best is experimenting with plants and nature,” said Bidwell. “Edwards-Knox is not only a good school, but also a home for me to introduce the younger generations to plant science and horticulture.”

Gault said Bidwell has shown initiative to try new things and teach himself a lot of the skills needed to successfully grow plants.

“He is documenting the growth of the plants, almost like a research project on his own,” said Gault. “I love his enthusiasm.”

All E-K students are introduced to agriculture as early as seventh grade, in classes taught by Gault. During high school, students can enroll in elective courses that delve further into agriculture and technology.

Gault has also been the advisor for FFA Club, an agriculture education-based youth organization, almost his entire time as a teacher in the district.

One of the FFA Club’s largest events held each spring is a petting zoo for the whole school to enjoy.

Students in all grade levels get to see everything from bearded dragons to chickens. Local farmers also volunteer to bring some of their equipment to the school to give students a glimpse into what it takes to run a farm.

Gault, who is slated to retire at the end of the current school year, hopes students remain engaged with agriculture for many years to come.

“While I am going to miss the kids and the school, I am excited to see the agriculture program go to areas where we haven’t been yet,” said Gault. “My hope is that kids remain interested in learning, and I think using agriculture is one great way to do that.”