BOLIVAR, NY - How do you grow plants year-round without any soil? If you ask a student in Bolivar-Richburg Central School, they'll know the answer! As of this month, the district now has four Tower Gardens. These vertical hydroponic systems can hold up to 28 plants which get their nutrients from enhanced water and use LED lights to help them grow. Hydroponic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors of the agricultural industry, and as of 2019 it is being taught at Bolivar-Richburg High School. "We are very excited to continue building upon the work we have done at the WEE Center and diversify how we teach our students about food and farming in a way that integrates technology, problem-solving, and hands on learning" states Patricia Eshelman, high school science teacher at BRCS.
The district installed their first Tower Garden earlier this year, which is placed as a focal point in their high school cafeteria. With the help of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County's Farm to School Coordinator, Cassandra Bull, Eshelman was awarded three additional Tower Gardens through The Grow with Us Grant. The grant awards growing systems to NY teachers to provide experiential-learning opportunities for their students. So far this grant program has invested $70,000 to help teachers use agriculture as the context for learning. Bolivar-Richburg has set up all four Garden Towers and is sending one of the new systems to their Elementary School. This will help younger students learn life science and how to grow food at an early age. Students in Eshelman's Sustainable Agriculture class currently maintain the Garden Tower. They grow vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, and herbs which are then used as ingredients to enhance the school's lunches. You can stay up to date on the Farm to School program at BRCS WEE Center by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
This grant was funded by New York State Agriculture in the Classroom. Established in 1985, this organization is a partnership of Cornell University and Cooperative Extension, the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, the NYS Education Department, and the New York Farm Bureau. Their mission is to foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation of how we produce food and fiber, what we eat, and how we live, by helping educators, students, and their communities engage with agriculture and food systems. Cassandra Bull is also the Ag in the Classroom Educator for Allegany County. For more information, please contact her at cb775@cornell.edu or call at 585.268.7644 ext 25.
