Utah Jazz: Ekpe Udoh’s urban farming project doing good
By Ryan Aston
Utah Jazz big man Ekpe Udoh’s hydroponic farming venture is working to provide healthy food to schools around the country.
After looking the part of an NBA Draft bust early in his career, Ekpe Udoh made his return to the Association last season and was low-key one of the best bang-for-your-buck players in the league. In limited action, the Utah Jazz big man was seventh in the NBA in defensive real plus/minus at 3.66. Also — his block percentage (7.7) and defensive box plus/minus (6.8) both outpaced the qualified league leaders.
Finally, no player who logged 1300 minutes or less registered a TPA score higher than Udoh’s (92.06), per NBA Math. For comparison, Blake Griffin checked in at just under 73 despite the fact that he played 300 more minutes.
Nevertheless, his greatest impact may come away from the court, which is no small feat.
For his latest act of putting good out into the world, Udoh looks to be teaming with a basketball legend to provide veggies and herbs to schools around the country. Per a report over the weekend, Udoh’s urban farming project, LGR (Let’s Get Right) Farms, has announced a partnership with Magic Johnson’s Sodexo.
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“Hopefully, I can introduce that into schools and give kids something else as a choice to be much healthier than what they might be eating,” Udoh told Oklahoma’s News 4 in May.
LGR — a hydroponic farming operation based in Udoh’s hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma — works by repurposing shipping crates and using them to house their crop. Plants are grown vertically from seed using UV lights and an air system to simulate sunlight and wind.
Udoh’s company was the second freight farm to be established in Oklahoma.
In addition to selling his greens to local restaurants and schools, Udoh hopes to raise awareness about healthy eating, particularly in urban areas.
Clearly, Udoh has much more to offer the Jazz than his TPA and plus/minus scores.