US (WV): School awarded grant for greenhouse project

Tucker County High School has received a grant for a project that's serving both the school and its community. More than $73,000 will help support Tucker County High School's Greenhouse Project. The program, which is all student driven, is gaining significant momentum in its second year.

The grant will help the program expand to include high tunnel technology, canning with the school's pro-start culinary program, crop tracking and growth, and bridge engagement in the Farm to School program.

"Some form of the produce that have been served to our students here at Tucker County High School has come from students either grown here at the greenhouse or at their homes via plants that were started here at the greenhouse. The kids are also going into the farmer's markets in the Parsons, Thomas, Davis area and selling their produce that they've grown, and its all stimulated by these projects," Eakle said.

Students who wrote the grant said the greenhouse project couldn't continue its success without funding, and are making sure people stay up to date with its progress.

"A lot of people don't have the time, the place to grow their own stuff so its going to help with the high tunnel and its going to be in all the classrooms," said Corey Kelley, a grant writer.

"The blog, I going to update it once a month, and I'm going to tell everything we're doing, what we're using the money for, and they'll be pictures," said Mikayla Long, a grant writer.

"In two short years, It's been really amazing to watch the process grow. We've went from to having just a green house to now hopefully we'll get our research classroom up which will have our kids do some more work," Eakle said.

The high tunnel should be covered in the next couple of weeks, and that could extend the growing season by a month. The classroom building should be completed next spring.

Source:wboy.com

Publication date: Fri 4 Oct 2013