Who says farming needs soil, sunshine, and space?
A group of Wyoming students is proving that with high-tech and a lot of passion, fresh produce can grow anywhere — even inside a steel box.
High-Tech Greenhouse: Reimagining Agriculture from the Ground Up
Students at Central Wyoming College (CWC) have taken agricultural innovation to the next level — by converting a standard 8-by-40-foot shipping container into a high-tech, climate-controlled greenhouse capable of growing hundreds of crops year-round.
This futuristic farm isn’t some science fiction concept — it’s a fully operational vertical growing system built by Boston-based Freight Farms, and it’s now a central component of CWC’s Regenerative Small-Scale Farming AAS degree, the first programme of its kind in the state.
What’s Inside the Box?
The container is equipped with:
- Four sliding grow walls
- 88 vertical growing panels
- Fully automated systems to manage lighting, irrigation, nutrients, and climate
- Real-time data monitoring for temperature, humidity, and CO₂
The setup allows students to grow crops such as kale, Bibb lettuce, and basil, with the entire system optimised for low energy usage and maximum plant yield. It even operates primarily at night to capitalise on off-peak electricity rates, a savvy move that saves money and supports sustainability.
“It’s not just farming — it’s precision agriculture meets STEM education,”
says CWC student Lexi Torres. “We’re learning how to feed people with fewer resources and more intention. That’s the future.”
From Classroom to Community
CWC’s vertical farm isn’t just a teaching tool — it’s also a solution to one of Wyoming’s most pressing issues: food deserts. According to the Wyoming Community Foundation, the state has 80 food deserts across 21 counties, where residents struggle to access fresh produce due to distance, price, or supply issues.
The produce grown inside the container greenhouse is distributed to:
- The CWC Culinary Arts programme
- Local outlets such as Meadowlark Market and Kitchen (Lander) and Fremont Local Market (Riverton)
- Community initiatives focused on local, fresh, affordable food
Investment, Returns, and Replication
The total investment in the High-Tech Greenhouse project was around $150,000, excluding installation and utility costs. While it’s a sizeable upfront cost, the long-term benefits are tangible:
- It can yield the equivalent of 2–4 acres of conventional farmland
- It reduces water usage
- It supports year-round growing, even in Wyoming’s unforgiving winters
“The idea is that you can bring one of these anywhere, hook it up to power and water, and start producing food,”
explains Ethan Page, CWC’s Local Food and Agriculture Instructor.
“They like to say it works from minus 30 to 150 degrees. It’s a game-changer.”
Education That Grows More Than Crops
At its core, this project is about empowering the next generation of growers, problem-solvers, and entrepreneurs. By integrating real-world challenges like climate resilience and food equity into their curriculum, CWC is planting seeds that go far beyond the greenhouse.
The college hopes to scale the initiative and even replicate it in rural Wyoming towns, where traditional farming may not be feasible — but vertical, container-based systems could thrive.
