Project Details
Project Type
Location
Denver, CO
Structure(s)
Products/Technology:
- Structure fabrication
- Polycarbonate glazing
- Metal decking
- Cooling system
- Shade system
- Roof vents
- Wadsworth SEED Controller
Denver Public Schools Glenbrook Greenhouse: A Local Supply with Big Impact
With a greenhouse right in the school district, fresh produce doesn’t have to travel far. Instead of relying on long supply chains, the district is growing its own food—cutting down on transportation, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering locally grown food straight into school kitchens.
Feeding Thousands Every Day
Every school day, Denver Public Schools’ serves more than 9,000 snacks and 75,000 breakfasts and lunches to 92,000 students spread among 200 schools.
The district has focused on using fresh, scratch-made meals since 2010—but making that happen consistently across the entire district was a challenge.
In the past, the district also partnered with non-profits to build small farms on unused school grounds. While these efforts helped nearby schools, they couldn’t supply the whole district. And with Denver’s short growing season, those farms didn’t produce year-round.
Prospiant’s Part in Making It Happen
That’s where Prospiant came in.
In 2021, the district partnered with Brigaid, a group of professional chefs that helps schools improve their meal programs. While the Brigaid team worked with the cafeteria staff, Prospiant worked behind the scenes to fabricate a structure that would make fresh produce more accessible across the entire district—a new 28,000 square foot greenhouse.
Prospiant designed, manufactured, and installed the greenhouse structure as well as integrated all the systems for the greenhouse. That included heating and cooling equipment, a shade/curtain system, and full environmental automation through a Wadsworth SEED controller.
The controller adjusts temperature, ventilation, and more using real-time sensor data and weather forecasts. With its remote capabilities, the controller allows growers to check on things or make changes from anywhere.
PLC Construction completed the greenhouse in 2022. It includes six growing bays and a head house. That same year, the greenhouses received an Award of Merit (K-12) from ENR Mountain States and Southwest Best Projects award program.
What’s Growing Now—and What’s Next
Today, the Denver Public Schools’ Glenbrook greenhouse produces around 1.7 tons of drip-irrigated tomatoes each year without the need for supplemental lighting. That means fresher food and a smaller carbon footprint for the district because it doesn’t have to truck food over long distances.
The district eventually hopes to expand what it grows to include leafy greens, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries—not just for their own stock but for surrounding districts, too.
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