The STEM Garden Institute was co-founded in 2010 by Gerry and Janet Lorden to deliver STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum on the platform of hydroponic gardening to educational institutions and nonprofits. Since it’s founding, they have worked to assemble a team with extensive experience in the areas of curriculum development, emerging innovative technologies, non-profit and municipal leadership to ensure it’s successful implementation.
Why now?
The need is greater than ever with:
- Increase in food shortages worldwide
- Lack of health and nutrition
- Increase in global population
- Outlook of continued increases in food prices
- Healthcare in America is at crisis levels with obesecity and diabetes
- Fewer grocery stores in inner cities
- Food Supply Chain Resiliency-risk of foreign pandemic-
Staggering Statistics:
Currently, the U.S. imports about 15% of its food and over 80% of its seafood. Since the 1970s, the rate of U.S. food imports has risen steadily with a jump in imports from Mexico, Canada, and Latin America following NAFTA, according to the USDA. The U.S. does not grow enough citrus (traditionally laborious and back-breaking work, but more and more automated), for example, to meet current needs for juice and fresh fruit, and thus imports citrus from Brazil, Australia, and increasingly, South Africa. Israel 367,333,490,222 box tonnes orange and grapefruit juices
