Tuluksak School's new hydroponic tower is growing tomatoes, onions and basil

Tuluksak School has a new hydroponic tower, and it's already planted with tomato and onion starter pods, the school's food service coordinator, LuAnn Miller, wrote in the state education department's November school meals bulletin.

Green onions and basil started in a smaller unit are thriving, Miller wrote, and will move into the main tower in the coming days. The school expects a harvest soon.

"Our students have been highly engaged, enjoying the opportunity to observe the progress of this project first-hand," she wrote.

A federal Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant paid for it. The Yupiit School District, based in Akiachak, won $219,107 for the project this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The district calls it Elitnaurat natlugniritut naunranek nertuameng, or "students growing strong eating plants/vegetables."

No roads connect the district's village schools to major supply hubs, and fresh produce headed their way "frequently freezes and spoils on unheated runways while awaiting postal delivery," the award description says.

Under the plan, Meyers Farm would combine its own harvest with fruit from Anchorage and ship it in heated transport on Fox Air charter flights. The district would also install two hydroponic grow stations at Tuluksak School to grow some produce on site.