Urban farming in the classroom at Orange Center
Posted on 07/04/2017
Students and faculty at Orange Center Elementary are now part of the Urban Farming initiative sweeping the country. A special thank you to the Kate and Justin Rose Foundation for a grant for 10 aeroponic tower gardens from Atlantic Beach Urban Farms. The Aeroponic gardens grow plants in a mist environment without the use of soil or any harmful chemicals. The tower gardens are currently being housed with 10 teachers in grades 2-5. Each tower holds 28 seedlings that take about 4 weeks to grow from seedling to harvest. During this time students have been learning about aeroponics, root systems, plant growth rates, and becoming more aware about how this type of farming can impact a community. The students had their first harvest and created Shakeable salad bags to take home. The students created an assembly line to add ingredients such as carrots, cheese, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins, and salad dressing. Every student in the school will have an opportunity to harvest and create healthy recipes over the course of 2 harvest cycles.