Hey there, my name is Blaine Curry. I'm a senior at North Park University in Chicago and I'm studying Environmental Science. I've started working with Nick Greens here at The Plant, and I'm hoping to learn valuable skills and insight about farming and growing. I am most interested in working directly with plants; being close to them and getting my hands dirty. I've been passionate about gardening and growing since I was a kid, and ever since then I have been pursuing how to grow my love and knowledge for plants. I am extremely fortunate to have met Nick and gotten the chance to work at The Plant. I think it's very important to inspire the younger generation, both my generation and everyone younger than I am. These young people are the future to everything, especially food production, and without kids getting interested then our future isn't very bright. So we have to inspire them and get them excited! I don't know where my future might lead, but whatever I learn here, I know I can take that knowledge elsewhere and put it to work.

Hello readers my name is Marco Mata and I'm an intern for Nick Greens LLC. I'm currently enrolling into colleges and finding my path in life. I'm also an enlisted Soldier in the United States Army working as a information technology specialist doing technical work with computer systems and networks. I recently got back from eight months active duty in North Carolina and Georgia. I'm pursuing Information technology as a career but plenty of my life and experience is in volunteer work across the city of Chicago. I've worked in Nick's urban gardens before as a volunteer in high school and I loved it! Nick was introduced to us through buildOn and Schurz H.S, as a volunteer i saw a need for a urban garden in our community to help feed the homeless and hungry youth, plus to provide a economical alternative for people who can’t afford greens. Schurz students never had experience in farming or the material to farm. Nick gave us the materials to build a hydroponics lab and we had the volunteer power. So we started building a Food Science Lab within the school, and within a few weeks we set up a lab. Giving us a new way to reach out and help our local community. I see this as the future of urban civilization, as cities progress vertical urban farming are very much going to become a reality and I take pleasure in knowing I'll be a part of it. There is so much in pleasure knowing I'm helping communities build up their farms and a sustain a younger generation.

#northparkuniversity #Schruzhighschool #foodsciencelab #NextGen #IndoorFarming #buildOn #USArmy #StudentLearners