See What's Growing On!
Stop on by GROW at the Saint Louis Science Center to see what’s growing inside the MARSfarm.
What is the MARSfarm you ask? Great question! The MARSfarm is a controlled environment in which to grow plants. Its goal is to inspire the next generation of farmers and to increase students’ engagement with STEM.
The Mars Mission
If you have ever wondered how we will be able to optimally grow food in the future, even on Mars, this is the place to start. The long-term mission of MARSfarm is to figure out what the most suitable crops for research in deep space would be. However, before it is possible to grow in space, we must first learn how to grow optimally here on Earth. There are some similarities between growing on Mars and growing on Earth, especially here in Saint Louis.
One of the biggest similarities would be the soil conditions. There are large areas of land all over Saint Louis that have been affected by soil erosion and pollution runoff. These soil conditions make it nearly impossible to grow in, much like the conditions on Mars. That is until we find a solution.
