Students who returned from the holiday break at Bowling Green State University found something different
growing inside the Oaks Dining Hall on campus.
And it’s edible.
In the hydroponics area of the dining hall, there is a new feature is five towers of growing vegetables.
It’s using a hydroponic system, which is cost efficient and healthier for the students in many ways.
Paige Wieman, who coordinates the hydroponic system, said one of the biggest items grown in the early
going of the system, which was installed at the start of the semester, is lettuce.
“The lettuce grows the best,” Wieman said. “The peppers are thriving and also the herbs are doing well.”

Among the herbs grown are thyme and oregano. They also grow arugula with more varieties to come.
In a hydroponic system, the plants grow without soil by using spongy pods and liquid nutrients which are
added once a week. Specially designed grow lights are also used to enhance the natural light of the
dining hall. Those lights are turned up brighter after meal hours to reduce the growing time and produce
more vegetables quickly.
Wieman said the pH levels are checked daily. If there is a problem with the pH level, she said it’s
usually too acidic. Then she just adds about a teaspoon of base to level it to the proper standard.
The system uses only about 10 percent of the normal amount of water to grow the vegetables and there is
no herbicides or pesticides used at any time
“This is very sustainable and well under budget,” Wieman said, adding that in the long run, it pays for
itself.
“We would like to expand this and get more towers, but we just started with these five to see how it
goes. It’s been very successful and I am sure we will expand it in the future.”
Wieman has already ordered other types of lettuce, she has planted dill and made some dill pickles.
A GoPro time-lapse camera has been set up to take pictures of the arugula growing. Once complete, it will
be shown on the dining hall’s website.
“We will continue to do research and it’s just going to get better. A lot of students have taken an
interest in this and looking to help out. We have hired an intern to help me manage the system,” Wieman
said. “I’m still learning.”
The idea of introducing the sustainable system originated with Michael Paulus, the director of dining
services for the university.
Five hydroponic towers were introduced on Feb. 4 at the Oaks.
The implementation of the new system is focused on the education of the campus and community population
as well as the production of fresh ingredients for the vegan-friendly station “Shoots.”
Chefs and the culinary team for the dining hall will be using the ingredients to produce a wider variety
of healthy food choices.
The system also uses less fertilizer than standard growing systems.
Jon Zachrich, director of marketing and communications, designed a wall of educational material near the
system to further educate about the system and its benefits.
Wieman said from the time she planted until she started harvesting, the lettuce took two to three weeks.
She said each tower can produce 15 cups of lettuce.