University of Evansville Launches “We Grow Aces!” to Tackle Food Insecurity and Support Student Learning
EVANSVILLE, IND. (03/05/2025) The University of Evansville (UE) is launching We Grow Aces!, a new initiative that brings together education, sustainability, and community engagement to provide access to extraordinary experiential learning, while addressing food insecurity and workforce development.
The program, funded through the Eli Lilly Endowment’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus grant, will make possible the purchase of a Pure Produce Container – a vertical garden system jointly developed by anu and eko Solutions, housed in an up-cycled shipping container capable of producing 3,920 plants per 40-day cycle, or several tons of vegetables annually.
UE will then provide accompanying programming that will equip students-from middle school through college-with practical skills in nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. By working alongside local schools, community organizations, and industry leaders, We Grow Aces! will prepare students for future careers while helping to meet critical needs in the region.
Through this initiative, students will engage in hands-on learning opportunities that introduce them to advanced agricultural practices, including vertical farming with Rotary Aeroponics significantly boost yield while minimizing power consumption. Through UE’s award-winning ChangeLab program, it will also connect these resources to the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, including EPN Partners Glenwood Leadership Academy and Urban Seeds, allowing expanded access to healthy food and education.
“This initiative is about more than just growing food-it’s about growing opportunities,” said Scott Massey, Co-Founder & CEO of a nu, “Introducing innovative agricultural solutions provides students with the tools and knowledge they need to drive meaningful change in their communities embracing food as medicine, critically needed as diet-related disease is our nation’s greatest threat.”
Pure Produce Container Farms are the result of a strategic partnership between eko Solutions and anu, combining innovative indoor agriculture technology with sustainable, up-cycled infrastructure. Together, they’ve created a commercial-scale farming solution that uses the anu advanced rotary aeroponics technology – a cutting-edge form of hydroponics – housed within eko Solutions’ 20-foot customized, up-cycled shipping containers. This collaboration leverages eko Solutions’ expertise in manufacturing and construction, along with the leadership of anu in plant science and controlled environment agriculture. The result is a zero-waste, year-round farming solution that delivers fresh produce while overcoming the challenges of traditional agriculture.
The We Grow Aces! initiative originated in the voices and vision of Hoosier students in UE’s ChangeLab and Springboard programs. Particularly UE student Neva Verbik, a biology major from Avon, Indiana, who brought this idea to campus through her High School Changemaker Challenge idea. After enrolling at UE, she’s worked on it for multiple semesters in her Transformative Action ChangeLab, partnering with Massey to develop an innovative pivot to her original rooftop garden idea.
As We Grow Aces! takes shape, the University is seeking input and collaboration from faculty, staff, and community members who want to contribute to its success. Those interested in getting involved are encouraged to reach out to DivisionTalentCommunity@
About eko Solutions
eko Solutions is a Land Betterment portfolio company focusing on sustainable development utilizing innovative, low-cost, up-cycled shipping container structures to provide durable, high-end solutions to the building marketplace while also maintaining the ability to be utilized in a mobile environment. eko Solutions uses innovative ecological structures to replace legacy inefficient and ineffective methods of living, growing and working. The sustainable craftsmanship of our up-cycled shipping container structures is what separates us from the alternatives. Our structures are suitable for farming, residential, crisis recovery, commercial, and recreation use. To stay up to date on our innovations and get an insider’s view of our daily operations visit our website ekosolutionsllc.com and follow us on our social platforms – Facebook LinkedIn Instagram
About anu
Anu is an Evansville based health and wellness brand advancing Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technologies to empower consumers and communities to sustainably grow their own Pure Produce, growing healthier food on-site, nurturing minds and bodies through accessible nutrition education. Founded by former NASA research engineers Scott Massey and Ivan Ball, recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30, Anu is developing autonomous cultivation systems powered by artificial intelligence. Anu is as simple to use as “Keurig for plants,” utilizing compostable Self-Nurturing Seed Pods, backed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and USDA-NIFA.
