The Calaveras Unified School District ( CUSD ) recently added a Solar Light glasshouse manufactured by Agra Tech ( ATI ) in Pittsburg , CA and it is already an intact part of its ag program at Calaveras High School in San Andreas , CA . With multiple uses and more to be developed over time , the CUSD should be used as a national model for how a shoal can expend a commercial greenhouse to learn and motivate students and create the nursery farmers of the future .
by Ed AttanasaioAg Instructor Kevin Hesser ( long time 49 ) at Calaveras High is a lifer when it get to teach Ag . He started out as an agriculture teacher at the elemental and in-between school horizontal surface before land a caper at Calaveras High . His married woman Autumn is a UC Davis graduate and an elementary spirit level teacher . Hesser oversees more than 120 Ag students and superintend a two - acre farm double-dyed with farm beast , such as goats , chickens , pigs , joker and lay hens in addition to their new ATI greenhouse .
When Hesser link the Ag program at Calaveras High , they were using a 50 - class - onetime makeshift glasshouse that was re - vitalized about five years ago . “ It was falling over and we did everything to keep it in mathematical process and we still expend it for seed production in that social structure , ” he say . “ We make at that fourth dimension that we needed a newfangled greenhouse and that ’s when we started the mental process with Jim Bergantz , our repp at ATI . Whenever we have interrogative sentence , James Roberts at ATI answer chop-chop with precise info , which has also been a large plus . ”
Inside the Solar Light Greenhouse
Last outpouring , Calaveras High grow an ATI 18 ft . by 36 ft . Solar Light glasshouse and started call upon its Ag scholar to assemble it . “ We had AgCon in San Jose , CA doing the prep study , which involved leveling the situation and setting column , but our scholar did the eternal sleep , ” he said . “ From August to March , 2 - 3 of our students worked on the construction of the structure and set up a drapery organization , cooling and heating organisation and a roof volcano . It was a great learning experience for all of the student who worked on it and now it bet awe-inspiring . ”
The plant life are thriving inside the Solar Light Greenhouse
start in 2010 , under the umbrella of the CUSD Educational Foundation , Gardens to Grow partnered with Calaveras county shoal , and other organizations , to sustain its schoolhouse garden development and upkeep , garden - found nutrition education and the promotion of Farm to School program .
The program ’s goal are challenging and inspiring . “ Promote and stomach hefty and sustainable life style , youth ontogeny , community involvement and self - reliance in Calaveras and Amador county schools and community by teach children and adults how to arise and prepare healthy food , ” is their mission command .
It ’s an awesome team effort that includes students , staff , parent and community of interests member as they participate in the process of grow and fix healthy nutrient , as well as marketing it to generate income for the program . Master Garden and community volunteers , teachers , parent and in high spirits school students use the garden to provide hands - on program line in sustainable garden practices and environmental and nutrition Education Department to these educatee .
“ Our Master Garden Tennessean and Garden Coordinators provide standards based , cross curricular natural process during school hours and in after school and summer programs , ” Hesser suppose . “ We want our educatee to get involved on many degree . We allow them to exhaust what they grow and encourage them to have their own garden at home . ”
The area ’s web of school and residential area gardens in Calaveras and Amador counties are busy literally twelvemonth - beat by providing paid garden / nutrition pedagogue and mentor for the school ; generating income to finance garden construction and maintenance ; distributing free plants and seeds to garden programs ; develop and endorse adult and youth military volunteer programme for gardens ; teaching sustainable and organic gardening / farming practice session that can be used to produce food in back yards or on a small farm .
A recent broadcast that has derive impulse revolves around home horticulture and the creation of sweet and healthy intellectual nourishment . It ’s call the “ Garden in Every menage ” program with more than 300 families participating in the program in which they receive a tray consist of 4 - column inch starter industrial plant , let in melons , eggplant , basil and several types of squash racquets . At this point , the territorial dominion has donated more than 1,000 starter plants with seeds and soil donate by local farmers and the community .
The students see more than how to grow plants , they leave with a can - do position
Other room for the shoal to make tax revenue is by holding plant sales and sell CSA boxes full with green groceries create by the students . A recent sale was a immense achiever , even though it was limited by the COVID19 pandemic .
All of the CUSD school that currently have garden or are planning to do so in the close future , include Valley Springs Elementary , West Point Elementary Rail Road Flat Elementary , Toyon Middle School , Calaveras High School , Jenny Lind Elementary , San Andreas Elementary , Mokelumne Hill Elementary , Michelson Elementary and Copperopolis Elementary , Mark Twain Elementary , Argonaut High School , and Calaveras River Academy .
For more info : Agra Tech2131 Piedmont WayPittsburg , CA 94565 T : ( 925 ) 432 - 3399F : ( 925 ) 432 - 3521[email protected]agratech.com
