NBA Player, Edmond HS Alum Brings Hydroponic Farming To OKC

Ekpe Udoh, now a center for the Utah Jazz, was once an Edmond Santa Fe High School student.  And now he’s back in his home state to bring a unique approach to healthy eating. 

Udoh visited Oklahoma State University's Oklahoma City campus Thursday, to announce a partnership between the school and his Edmond-based hydroponic farming company, LGR Farms.

“We just want to be able to provide fresh produce at an affordable price,” Udoh said.

The partnership includes an LGR Farms hydroponic shipping container inside the OSU-OKC Farmers Market pavilion.

Vertically-grown lettuce, spinach and other green veggies will fill a 40-foot container. It's herbicide and pesticide free and uses filtered water instead of soil.

OSU-OKC President Brad Williams said in part, that they "...consider the container as the centerpiece of an opportunity to talk about food production, water conservation, recycling and alternative energy sources."

Udoh says that his passion for fresh produce started at a young age.

“My mother, she gardens. And we always ate what she grew. Peppers, spices, you know, whatever. And she followed her mother. And that's how she learned it,” he said. “Think it's just a connection for me and my mom, and her mom as well.”

The hope of this new container is to provide field trip opportunities for students to learn about hydroponic farming, and healthy eating. But most importantly, Udoh hopes to provide healthy alternatives for inner city school children.

For more information about LGR Farms, click here.

For more on the OSU-OKC Farmers Market, click here.