Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) partnered with Silver Leaf Farms in Corrales to provide a year-round treat for students.

“Silver Leaf has given us a great opportunity to have fresh salad greens throughout the whole year because of their growing conditions, and what they’re doing special down there at Silver Leaf Farms,” Sandra Kemp, executive director of APS Food and Nutrition Services, told KOB 4.

Silver Leaf Farms provides lettuce that due to a growing method called hydroponics, can grow all year long no matter the weather.

“Essentially, the nutrients come through the water source and so there are a million ways that that can manifest itself,” Elan Silverblatt-Buser, co-owner of Silver Leaf Farms, told KOB. “We were able to feed the plants, feed the lettuce, the exact right amount of nutrients. So we can really control for quality and really control for flavor.”

Utilizing the greenhouse makes growing lettuce easy and accessible for schools in the metro area. 

“It’s totally climate-controlled,” Buser said. “So we have heating in the winter, cooling in the summer, tons of sunlight here in New Mexico. The goal is to be able to, at some point, provide all the lettuce that APS could ever need.”