By Shala Watson
Multimedia Writer
Holland Elementary students are growing a passion for gardening while giving back to the community through their campus greenhouse project. And they have the help of some local farmers and ranchers.
The Bell County Farm Bureau gave a $500 grant to the school to help purchase supplies for the project.
“Holland Elementary has a greenhouse project for second, third and fourth grades,” Bell County Farm Bureau President Michael Moon said. “They grow the plants. Then they have a plant sale in the spring time for all the area gardeners.”
The school purchased growing tables for the greenhouse with the funds provided by the grant.
“We bought growing tables for them, because they had pallets they were putting the plants on,” Moon said. “They were having to bend down and get on the ground. So we bought some tables for them to put their plants on. They could water them, and it wouldn’t rust or go away.”
Through the plant sale, students learn how to give back to the community. All proceeds from the sale go to the Holland Community Food Bank.
“I think that gives them a better understanding of reaching out and doing their labor of love and selling it for the profit of the community,” Bell County Farm Bureau Vice President Robert Fleming said.
The Holland Elementary Greenhouse Project aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity of elementary students, while developing a passion for gardening and educating youth about foods they eat.
The greenhouse project also allows students to learn how to care for plants.
“If we can teach them to grow their own vegetables, they can be self-sufficient and they know what the process is,” Moon said.
Students get hands-on experience in the greenhouse planting seeds, watering the plants and harvesting the fruits of their labor.
“A lot of these kids don’t have the opportunity to do anything like this,” Moon said. “Holland Elementary School is way ahead of every other school in the area as far as greenhouses and letting kids get hands-on experience growing vegetables.”
Students develop the understanding of where their food comes from, water and soil health and how to cultivate a garden.
“Those kids may not be directly involved in agriculture but it gives them a basic understanding of growing a plant—whether it’s a potted plant, pumpkin or a squash,” Fleming said.
Kids get to be a part of the planting process and learn about different types of plants and vegetables.
“It gives them a little bit of education about soil, nutrients, water, sunshine, humidity and things of that nature,” Fleming said. “It takes all the ingredients combined to make a plant grow.”
Bell County Farm Bureau invests in programs like these to help promote agriculture in youth.
“To support local kids growing plants, that’s just a given. We can all do that, because they are our future,” Moon said.