Student Reflections on Service Learning Experiences in a Hydroponic Food Production Course

The increasing interest in regional and local food systems is resulting in an upsurge of hydroponic food crop production. This greater awareness of where food is coming from is also providing an opportunity to increase dialog on food security as it relates to regional and local communities. This interest and awareness about local food systems and food security can be integrated into greenhouse crop production curriculum and provide for unique learning experiences for students.  In response to this interest at Iowa State University, a hydroponic food production course was created in the Department of Horticulture. Students were responsible for producing lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes in hydroponic production systems in the laboratory portion of the course. Crops were harvested weekly, packaged and donated to a local perishable food pantry. Service learning was incorporated into the course to compliment the curriculum and provide an enriching volunteer experience for students. Students completed the service-learning component by volunteering in one of three ways at the food pantry where the produce was donated by:  distributing the produce to the pantry; preparing a meal; or serving and doing clean-up following a meal. Students also submitted three written reflections during the course. The first reflection was completed at the beginning of the semester following an introduction and description of the food pantry by the executive director. The second reflection was completed following their volunteer experience. And the final reflection was submitted at the conclusion of the course and laboratory reflecting on the overall experience. Each group of reflections was evaluated to determine common words or themes. Analysis showed that for all three reflections, “food” was the most frequently used word and “people” was the second-most used word. Other words used frequently included “think” and “experience”. Based on the results of written reflections, we believe that including the service-learning component of in the hydroponic production course enriched the student’s experience and deepened their understanding of food security.