Sustainable Food Production in a Higher Education Learning Restaurant utilising Vertical Aeroponic Tower Gardens.

Seán Connell is a Senior Lecturer in Hotel and Catering TUS. His research interests focus on learning and teaching innovations for hospitality, tourism and leisure education.Sean speaks with Dr. Mike Russell, a lecturer with CPID, about the SATLE funded project that he undertook with other colleagues from TUS: Dr Noelle O’Connor, Dr Emma Reardon, Ms Nicola Ryan, Ms Nora Shine, and Mr John Lydon. The project - Sustainable food production in a higher education learning restaurant utilising vertical aeroponic Tower Gardens - examined the process of producing vegetables and herbs from germination through to harvest for use as an ingredient in herbal teas and restaurant dishes using aeroponics systems. The tower gardens use a soil free, nutrient enriched, oxygenated water system and low wattage water pump and LED lights to grow produce. Third year hotel management students, in their Environmental Management and Resource Efficiency module, examined the efficiency of using the tower gardens to produce herbs for herbal teas as opposed to buying in branded teas.This pod cast was recorded in May 2024 and was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the Higher Education Authority, and the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development Department within the Technological University of the Shannon.