Dr. Meg Groome on Gaining Momentum: Why School Farms Are the Future of Food
Meghan Groome, PhD, CEO of Teens for Food Justice, recently joined Kaila Mullady on her podcast Gaining Momentum for an episode titled “Kids Feeding Thousands: The Future of Food.” Mullady, a two-time World Beatbox Champion and Broadway performer with Freestyle Love Supreme, performed at TFFJ’s 2025 Fall Gala with Freestyle+ and was moved enough by the organization’s mission to invite Meg onto the show. Gaining Momentum features honest conversations about how people move forward, pursue their dreams, and build something meaningful, making TFFJ’s student-led work a natural fit. In the episode, they discussed youth-led hydroponic farming and the role of public schools in strengthening local food availability.
Food Insecurity is Closer Than We Think
Meg describes food insecurity as a spectrum. For some families, it means consistent gaps in meals. For others, it shows up as sudden instability when work shifts, rent increases, or federal benefits change. Access is not static. It can narrow quickly, and stigma makes it harder to ask for help.
Recent federal policy changes are shifting significant SNAP costs to the State and putting hundreds of thousands of residents at risk of losing benefits. When national safety nets weaken, local infrastructure becomes essential. This is where school-based hydroponic farms come in.
Farms Inside Schools Increase Local Food Capacity
Meg explains that TFFJ builds high-capacity hydroponic farms that operate year-round inside public schools in New York City. These farms are commercial-scale spaces capable of producing tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually.
Each farm distributes food in three ways: directly into the school cafeteria, to students and families through free food distributions, and through community partners. During moments of crisis, production can increase to meet urgent needs. When students grow food that ends up on their own trays or in their neighbors’ kitchens, the definition of who produces food begins to evolve.
Leadership Rooted In Belonging
When asked about her priorities as CEO, Meg did not begin with expansion targets. She spoke about belonging. She wants students to feel safe and welcome in the farms. Meg wants them to see themselves as leaders in spaces that have not always felt open to them.
Farms teach plant science and data tracking. They also teach civic engagement. Students begin by learning how food systems operate and move toward participating in shaping them. TFFJ’s model bridges biology, environmental science, public health, culinary education, and policy in one place. After completing the program, some decide to pursue careers in agriculture, culinary arts, or public policy. The farm is where all of that comes together.
Public Schools as Food System Leaders
When a national podcast frames youth-led school farms as the future of food, it signals a shift in how the field thinks about who produces food. Policymakers, educators, and food access leaders are starting to see students as contributors, not just learners.
Public schools sit at the intersection of education, nutrition, and community life. When those schools include high-capacity farms run with students, they become anchors in the local food system. The work happening inside TFFJ farms contributes to a broader effort to strengthen local food production while preparing students to participate in the systems that shape their communities.
Explore more episodes of Gaining Momentum on YouTube and follow on Instagram. ❦
Pamela Honey is the Communications & Content Coordinator at Teens For Food Justice.
