Vertical Aeroponic Gardens Debut at Oglethorpe Dining Commons

Oglethorpe Dining Commons has introduced six new Tower Gardens®, a self-watering and self-contained aeroponic vertical gardening system. Vertical aeroponics allow fruits, vegetables, herbs, leafy greens and edible flowers to be grown on campus. With each garden having an efficient 30-inch footprint, the seedlings are grown with 100% organic non GMO seeds. With aeroponic technology and specially formulated nutrients, plants grow 2-3 weeks faster than plants growing in the soil. Due to the vertical design and recirculation of water in the system, the gardens also use 95% less water and 90% less land than traditional gardening. Beginning in September 2019, Dining Services has used produce from these gardens in special Campus Grown salads at East Side Deli in Red Clay Cafe. Dining Services plans to look at the feasibility of further incorporating some of the crops into select menus once they are harvested.