What is FarmLab and what does our Agriculture Curriculum include?

Author: Susanna Dalais

FarmLab is an innovative integration of aquaponics, hydroponics, and traditional cultivation within the Lighthouse campus. It provides a dedicated space for students from Primary through Secondary to learn about sustainable food production and experiment with different growing methods.

Currently, middle school classes are involved in cultivating vegetables and fish at the FarmLab. As the programme expands, the aim is for students at most year levels to use the space regularly, learning how food is grown and contributing to the crops used in the Lighthouse kitchen. FarmLab seeks to function as a fully active, working school farm, making it a unique model in Mauritius and even internationally.

At its core, FarmLab was created as an additional learning environment where students can develop practical skills in growing food. True to its name, it invites them to experiment with a range of methodologies—raised beds, aquaponics, hydroponics, and, in time, a syntropic food forest. The farm follows natural practices for pest control, fertilisation, and composting.

FarmLab also supplies the school canteen with fresh produce, supporting a circular model of healthy food production that reduces overall meal costs for families. Over the past year, our ‘Fresh Vegetable’ Markets for Lighthouse families and staff consistently sold out, helping offset operational expenses. These markets have been well received by parents and staff alike, and reflect our ethos as a Green School, supporting greater awareness of responsible food production. These markets also reinforce the importance of healthy eating and the connection between healthy bodies and healthy minds. As FarmLab grows, it is expected to generate an additional revenue stream for the school and continue supporting affordable tuition.

Guided by a multi-year master plan grounded in permaculture principles, FarmLab will continue to expand its vegetable gardens and eventually introduce animals such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, and bees. The farm will coexist harmoniously with the surrounding forest, which we plan to conserve and protect.

We warmly welcome interest from Lighthouse families with agricultural expertise, as well as volunteers or referrals, as we continue to grow this exciting initiative.

Agriculture at Lighthouse
Agriculture is a unique subject offered from Grades 7 to 9 at Lighthouse School. Students take an active role in caring for the land, following God’s directive in Genesis 2:15, while exploring how sustainable farming reflects His creative design.

They learn to grow healthy food responsibly, using both traditional and innovative practices. In Grade 7, students manage a vegetable garden; in Grade 8, they experiment with and improve soils; and in Grade 9, they run a small agricultural enterprise—developing, marketing, and selling their product.

This programme allows students to enjoy the outdoors, build teamwork and resilience, and see their produce used in school lunches, serving others in a practical way.

‘It has been encouraging to see students grow increasingly confident and skilled, deepening their appreciation of God’s creation and gaining preparation for life beyond the classroom’, shares Agriculture Teacher, Mr Damien.