Tower Gardens Help Students Grow Compassion

Students at Saints Joachim and Ann can grow nutritious plants inside their very own classroom. During Catholic Schools Week the kindergarten class delivered vegetables they grew and picked to the Care Service. The students grew the vegetables in their Tower Garden, a vertical, aeroponic tower structure that grows up to 20 plants in only three square feet.  These high tech gardens grow plants in water with special lights, instead of outside in soil.  This has allowed the students to plant, grow, pollinate, harvest, and deliver fresh vegetables to the Care Service during the harsh winter months when many clients would otherwise go without them. It has taken around 6 weeks to grow lettuce, kale, and basil, which filled about 8 gallon ziplock bags. “It made me feel good to give food to the Care Service,” said Wesley, a Kindergartener that participated in the Tower Garden.
 
Currently, there are two Tower Gardens at Sts. Joachim and Ann, one in the Elementary building and one in the Junior High Building.  So far, Kindergarten, First and Fourth grade have been able to experience using the Tower Garden. Kindergarten and First grade have already shared the harvest with the Care Service and Fourth grade is getting ready to deliver another round of vegetables to help the Care Service soon.  
 
"The Care Service is very grateful for the students at Sts. Joachim and Ann School for their hard work in nurturing these plants to fruition, and donating them to our food pantry," said Jack Lipin, Executive Director. "The lettuce, kale and basil will provide our pantry families with healthy, home-grown produce."

In addition to the tower gardens, Sts. Joachim and Ann was recently awarded a $2000 grant from the Whole Kids Foundation!  Our students will learn the science behind gardening and be able to give back to the Care Service!  We hope to grow at least 75 pounds of produce for the Care Service in our first year.  Students will be working on this amazing project in all of their courses in some way, whether it be learning about photosynthesis, calculating the space needed and how many meals will be provided, writing descriptive essays about the project, relating this experience to times in our world when food was scarce, drawing three dimensional drawings of the produce while practicing shading, learning the physical benefits to fresh food and experiencing what it is like to care for God’s people all in an outdoor learning environment. What an opportunity for our children, our Parish and our Community.