While school greenhouses can be utilized in a variety of ways, our goal is the cultivation of nutritious produce that can be returned to the study body, bringing the greenhouse into the cafeteria. Fresh fruits and vegetables served on the lunch trays of our students only adds to our agriculture heritage. Greenhouses can serve as knowledge centers helping to instruct the next generation on where their food comes from and how they can be the next to grow it. By providing healthy meals and a rich agriculture education, we grow the sustainability of our communities and their food systems.
This guide can assist teachers, administrators, FFA instructors, and students in:
- Forming a greenhouse committee,
- Creating a purpose and goals for a greenhouse,
- Establishing a greenhouse curriculum,
- Designing and maintaining a greenhouse system, and
- Creating a managing a production plan.
The toolkit also includes a list of online resources instructor and students can turn to for further instruction.
Our hope is that “From Greenhouse to Cafeteria” will serve as an ongoing resource for school greenhouse programs throughout Nebraska.
Feel free to contact us with any questions:
- Kirstin Bailey, project associate, kirstinb@cfra.org
- Justin Carter, project associate, justinc@cfra.org
- Erin Schoenberg, project associate, erins@cfra.org
