Scio school awarded growth grant

SCIO, NY - How do you grow plants year-round without any soil? If you ask a high school student in Scio Central School, they'll know the answer! As of this fall season, the district now has four Tower Gardens. These are 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 2020, it is being taught at Scio Central School. “Our seedlings are started and we had electric outlets installed in the upstairs foyer of the school. These systems will be open for the entire student population to watch and interact with as the plants grow" states Kyle Canfield, High School Science Teacher, who spearheads this project. The district installed their first Tower Garden earlier this year before the COVID-19 shutdown, but didn’t have a chance to produce food for the school cafeteria. This Tower Garden was provided to the school by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County. In December 2019, Living Science teacher, Kyle Canfield, and Farm to School Coordinator, Cassandra Bull, wrote a successful grant Grow with Us Grant for three additional Tower Gardens. They will grow vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, and herbs which will be used as ingredients to enhance the school's lunches.

Scio is not a stranger to Farm to School activities. For the last two school years, the district purchased 30% of their lunch ingredients from New York State Farms. Cafeteria Manager, Cindy Winchell, started a small school garden in the courtyard and works with students during the summer to grow vegetables in raised beds. Canfield is building on these cafeteria successes and is bringing agricultural concepts into his classroom. They have started a dendrology unit and will be tapping maple trees as a hands on maple syrup activity. Canfield has also enrolled in a Top Beef Contest, a multi-faceted project that teaches students about beef production, food science, and marketing. He has also expressed an interest in raising honey bees at the school. “Scio is a textbook Farm to School success story. I’ve been working with Mrs. Winchell since 2018, and I am so happy to have added Mr. Canfield as one of my partner teachers last year. He is a true go-getter who is dedicated to creating a well-rounded program by incorporating the cafeteria, community, and classroom in these efforts”, says Bull. 

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 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.