Case Study: 6950 Stirling Road Pilot Project
How our flagship campus build became the proof point — and the operational footprint — for every Organic Aqua Fresh school deployment that followed.
Bridge classroom & cafeteria — without disrupting either.
The school faced a familiar problem: a STEM track that lived entirely on paper and a cafeteria operation strained by commercial supply-chain volatility. Faculty wanted a signature, hands-on technical program; food service needed predictable produce volume; administration needed it all to land within a single capital budget cycle.
Traditional educational programs hand students a textbook. The 6950 Stirling site wanted to hand them a fully functional, living laboratory driven by advanced automation and closed-loop technologies — one that simultaneously functioned as a high-yield production hub strengthening local food security.
A turnkey installation with a curriculum baked in.
We engineered two core commercial-grade agricultural modules into a single cohesive smart-facility footprint — paired directly with the project-based K-12 STEM curriculum students would interact with daily.
A high-yield vertical cultivation array with dedicated reservoir tanks, high-efficiency plumbing, water delivery pumps, and integrated power electronics. Plus a GS8 germination module that doubles as a commercial microgreens rack.
Custom-tailored to the room's exact dimensions, with high-visibility design features so students can see the biology in motion.
Two custom plexiglass fish tanks (36″ W × 48″ L × 36″ D) giving students unobstructed views of aquatic biology in real time.
Central processing unit with real-time sensors for pH, Dissolved Oxygen, and temperature, plus auto-dosing pumps that dynamically stabilize water chemistry without human intervention.
Inside the 941 sqft footprint.
The lab was sized to comfortably support 250+ daily servings within a standard AgTech classroom envelope. The build pairs the TS-class vertical towers with a GS8 germination rack and a custom Aqua1200-grade aquaponic loop.
| Component | Spec | Role |
|---|---|---|
| TS54 / TS20 Vertical Towers | 72 towers across the production wall | Primary leafy-greens production — staggered weekly harvests feed a continuous cafeteria pipeline. |
| GS8 Germination Module | Multi-tier rack | Seedling incubation + a secondary commercial-scale rack for high-value microgreens. |
| Aqua1200 / IAS1200 Loop | Custom-built filtration & circulation | Three-phase filter, mechanical solids separators, biological nitrification, mineralization tank, buffer tank, master recirculating tank. |
| Plexiglass Fish Observatories | 2 × 36″ × 48″ × 36″ tanks | Live visibility for the biology and chemistry modules. |
| Automation Controller | Raspberry Pi + relay matrix | pH / DO / temperature sensing, auto-dosing pumps, programmable feeding + lighting schedules. |
Note: The exact TS-class mix at 6950 Stirling combined the TS54 production line with a smaller TS20 cluster for higher-rotation crops. Full BOM available on request.
“As our very first customer, we want to ensure this project serves as a highly successful footprint for all of our future school installations.”
A signature feature with measurable operational lift.
Once operational, the pilot delivered the projected weekly yield of fresh leafy greens directly into the school’s daily lunch rotation — eliminating commercial transit emissions, post-harvest nutrient degradation, and intensive prep labor for the kitchen team.
- ~5,600 lbs / yrHarvested produce (projected)Across 52 weeks of year-round operation
- 45,000+Annual servings into the cafeteriaAcross the 180-day academic year
- 95% less watervs. field-based procurementClosed-loop recirculation
- 0% pesticidesStrictly controlled biosphere100% clean, organic intake
- Zero food milesHarvest-to-tray distanceDelivered across the hallway
- Year-roundPredictable supply52 weeks of deterministic menu planning
From flagship pilot to replicable footprint.
The 6950 Stirling deployment is the reference architecture for every subsequent school engagement. Every spec — tower count, observatory dimensions, controller logic, curriculum cadence — has been hardened into a turnkey package we can drop on any K-12 campus with the right room and the right capital plan (grants included).
Next-phase expansions under evaluation: a 24-TS40 entry tier for smaller campuses (~$34,680 capital cost), and a 72-TS40 full-scale build (~$71,000 capital cost) designed for 500+ student bodies.
Could this be your campus?
Tell us the basics — student enrollment, available room footprint, funding timeline — and we’ll send back a customized System-to-Student Campus Blueprint, grant eligibility review, and replication plan based on the 6950 Stirling footprint.