FarmTECH Breaks Ground: A Vision for Future Learning and Sustainability

A bold new vision for hands-on learning and sustainability is taking root at Morgan Hill Unified School District. MHUSD Trustees, District, school and City leadership, Students Nutrition, Farm staff and community members gathered to break ground on FarmTECH—a 20-acre agricultural education site that will soon serve as a dynamic outdoor classroom for students across the district.

FarmTECH will be more than just a farm. It is designed to become a living, learning laboratory where students can explore agriculture, food systems, environmental science, and renewable energy. The site will feature both a production farm and a demonstration farm, with plans to include greenhouses, row crops, orchards, solar panels, and even beehives.

“This project brings together innovation, sustainability, and education in a powerful way,” said Michael Jochner, Student Nutrition Director and visionary behind FarmTECH. “It will be a place where students not only learn how to grow food, but also understand the systems that sustain our world.” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Garcia thanked Jochner for his ability to “... ideate a nexus between what a farm can do in connection with our students’ Career Technical Education pathway…”

One exciting aspect of the project is its future impact on school meals. The produce grown at FarmTECH will be incorporated into meals served in school cafeterias throughout the district—bringing fresh, locally grown food directly to students. This farm-to-school approach will support student health, enhance food literacy, and model environmentally responsible practices. This produce will join the lettuce already grown by the district’s Student Nutrition team in two hydroponic shipping containers located at Live Oak and Ann Sobrato High Schools.

With shovels in the ground and a shared commitment to innovation, MHUSD is preparing to grow something extraordinary. We look forward to the day FarmTECH comes to life—and to all that will grow from it.