Current Student Entrepreneur Connects with Alumnus at MightyVine Farm

Kadus's interest in farming is rooted in a project he developed as a participant in last year's LA Tank entrepreneurial program. Kadus worked closely with alumni mentors Alan P. Devey '07 and Charles H. Shaw III '09 to conceptualize "Integrated Growing Solutions," a business model that proposes using hydroponic technology—a method of growing plants in a water solvent without soil—to revolutionize the produce shopping experience.

 

Loyola Academy Executive Vice President Dennis R. Stonequist '90 connected Kadus to MightyVine Farm Chairman James K. Murphy '71. "It's great to be able to put current students in touch with our alumni," Stonequist says. "This is what the Loyola network is all about."    

 

At MightyVine Farm, Kadus received a tour of the facilities from Murphy's son, Danny, who serves as the company's vice president. With Danny, Kadus saw some of the technical operations of the farm that most people do not get to see. "I was able to learn a lot about the farm and had a great experience," he says. 

 

MightyVine Farm is unique in its hydroponic process and drip irrigation technique—which uses only 10 percent of the water of traditional field grown tomatoes and eliminates the runoff of fertilizers into surrounding waterways. 

 

For Kadus, who hopes to one day build an indoor, hydroponic farm in China, the visit was more than a learning experience—it put him one step closer to his dream. "Mr. [Danny] Murphy has a friend who is building a hydroponic farm in China. And he said he would be able to connect us," Kadus says. 

 

If you would like learn more about the LA Tank Program and mentoring our student entrepreneurs, please contact Dennis R. Stonequist '90 at 847.920.2443 or dstonequist@loy.org. 

 

To learn more about MightyVine Farm, please click here.