When sourcing school meals, Hillcrest Academy in Kalona looks locally.
Mike Patterson teaches all agriculture and biology classes at Hillcrest, in addition to being the FFA advisor. He and five other students work in a greenhouse as part of the plant science course curriculum.
Students learn both the agricultural and botanical aspects of science. The greenhouse is a 20×20 chicken coop that lacks electricity and heating. But that doesn’t stop them from growing a wide variety of plants and herbs, including radishes, turnips, carrots, lettuce, spinach and cilantro, a favorite of chefs. Additionally, herbs like lavender, parsley, mint, and oregano are grown.
Despite the fact that growing and harvesting seasons don’t always coincide with the school calendar, Patterson and the students work together to produce as much food as possible for the facility while experimenting with new techniques. Each year, the greenhouse and the rest of the class face new challenges.
The main objective of the class is to give students a solid understanding of the process from plant to harvest and to teach them how to perform these steps on their own. Patterson serves as an advisor before letting the students run the greenhouse themselves.
Call Hillcrest Academy at (319) 656-2073 or visit their website at www.hillcrestravens.org for more information or to arrange a visit.
