Produce Purpose to Launch Hydroponic Farm at William Peace University

Produce Purpose Employes Farmers with Special Needs

Raleigh, NC (04/27/2023) — Produce Purpose Inc. will soon launch a hydroponic farming operation on campus at William Peace University (WPU) in downtown Raleigh.

The nonprofit organization was founded with five goals:

Matthew Harvey, Produce Purpose's executive director said WPU is the perfect place to create a farm.

"WPU has distinguished itself as one of the leading academic institutions in the Research Triangle region. Its commitment to innovation and fostering a social conscience within its students make it the ideal partner for this exciting initiative."

To grow its produce, Produce Purpose is also partnering with Freight Farms, a best-of-breed hydroponic technology company based in Boston, MA. A state-of-the-art, self-contained, fully automated hydroponic farm is projected to harvest its first crop this fall on campus.

"We feel incredibly excited and fortunate to work with Matthew Harvey and the rest of the Produce Purpose Team," said David Turina, senior account executive with Freight Farms. "Their mission perfectly illustrates the value of container farming for university campuses, and this initiative will have a positive impact on the Raleigh community for years to come. We can't wait to get their Greenery up and running!"

Immersive learning is a distinguishing element of William Peace University's academic approach. WPU is committed to fostering within its students the ability to apply academic scholarship to real-world problems and solutions.

"The faculty at WPU focus on how they are teaching in addition to what they are teaching and build experiential, hands-on learning experiences into their courses," said Vice President for Academic Affairs Lynda Szymanski. "We are excited to partner with Produce Purpose to explore opportunities for faculty and students to engage with the on-campus hydroponic farm." Possible academic applications from housing Produce Purpose's hydroponic container farm on campus span a broad spectrum of disciplines, including Plant Biology, Computer Science, Special Education, Mechanical Engineering and Physics.

Produce Purpose is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in Raleigh, NC. Its goals are to mitigate the stubbornly high rate of unemployment amongst those with special needs, offer sustainably grown produce to counteract the current arable land shortage and encourage healthy eating in young people.

William Peace University is a regionally-ranked, award-winning institution in downtown Raleigh, NC. An impressive 96% of its graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year of Commencement. Founded in 1857 and boasting approximately 750 full-time students, WPU has been ranked 29th of Best Colleges in Regional Colleges South by U.S. News and World Report.

Founded in 2012, Freight Farms debuted the first vertical hydroponic farm built inside an intermodal shipping container with the mission of democratizing and decentralizing the local production of fresh, healthy food. Since its inception, Freight Farms has refined its product offering to arrive at the Greenery S container farm. With global customers ranging from small business farmers to the corporate, hospitality, retail, education, and nonprofit sectors, Freight Farmers make up the largest network of connected farms in the world. AgTech Breakthrough named Freight Farms the "2022 IoT Monitoring Solution of the Year" for its farmhand IoT automation software.

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