Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Ground is set to be broken in May at Garfield/Palouse High School for a new greenhouse. The estimated $65,000 project for the 30x40-foot structure will be paid for by the school district, a $25,000 grant from Monsanto's math and science in rural communities program, $5,000 from Northwest Farm Credit Services and $5,000 from Gar/Pal FFA boosters and alumni.
“It's been a process, but we're now ready to roll,” said Mike Patrick, ag science teacher.
Originally planned as an 18x36 building, District Superintendent Calvin Johnson and the Garfield/Palouse school boards later changed direction to a 30x40.
“We were going economy,” Patrick said.
“After we researched more, we found many schools felt their greenhouse was too small,” Johnson said. “We thought, it's gonna be there a long time, so we added another 10 feet.”
The plan was to break ground in April but weather issues caused delays. Now, Johnson estimates, the concrete slab will be poured by the end of May with the kit polycarbonate building going up in June.
KACI of Moscow will erect the structure.
Right now the school's greenhouse is an 11x30 lean-to, with no heat, on the east side of the main school building, which receives limited direct sunlight.
“The new building will allow the kids an opportunity to grow better plants,” said Patrick.
The building will be located in a pasture above the ag shop, near the tennis courts.
Elementary project
The Garfield/Palouse FFA chapter is underway in the second year of a project called “Elementary Gardens for the Hungry.”
In 2016, the high school students built garden beds west of the ag building and taught elementary-age students at Palouse about planting seeds.
The plan to donate food did not come out as intended.
“It was only marginally successful,” said Patrick. “The deer had first choice. That will change with the new greenhouse.”
The new building will include a fenced-in area in what is now a sheep pasture.
For this year's lessons with the elementary students, the high school kids taught them about soil structure, soil types and soil profile. A series of 15 hands-on, interactive workshops were created, with a five-day lesson plan each for third, fourth and fifth-grade students.
The FFA leaders gave the presentations and evaluated each afterward to make improvements.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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