Little Leaf Farms, a hydroponic greenhouse operation that grows lettuce, occupies about 160 acres of land on a mountaintop near Hazleton, PA. Its greenhouses do not cover all the land and its operation produces nutritious peat and ‘waste’ water – water enriched with nutrients for growing the lettuce. Little Leaf is interested in learning how to utilize these byproducts towards its ultimate goals of sustainable campus beautification over the next 5-10 years post greenhouse construction. For this projects students’ research include analysis of water and soil and identification of appropriate plants tolerant of these conditions. Research also include best practices for the establishment of a pollinator meadow or any other recommendations.
Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Mary Ann Smith
Lecturer, Biology, Penn State Schuylkill
mvs14@psu.edu