Buckeye Local Junior High School's hydroponics program has gained the attention of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, with a representative visiting the site for a closer look. Kara Johnson, education program specialist with the Office of Nutrition, met with Principal Andy Long and district Treasurer Merri Matthews March 19 to view three towers the school acquired through a $35,000 Grow Ohio Grant this past fall.
The equipment is being used by both junior and senior high students to provide homegrown produce for the school's foods program and cafeteria, including a lush supply of leafy greens and herbs that were ripe for picking.
The program was created by BLHS ag teacher and FFA adviser Cameron Best, who was not present for the visit, but said the Panther Produce: Growing Futures Hydroponics Lab would serve as a catalyst for agricultural career awareness and food systems learning at BLJHS.
Best worked with Long, district Superintendent Coy Sudvary, high school Principal Luke Parsons, and Dustin Pyles and Marcy Raymond of VAZA Consulting on the grant, which also expands on plans for the state-of-the-art greenhouse previously added on campus through a $25,000 windfall from the Ohio Farm Bureau, as well as Panther Farms, which will raise chickens to provide fresh eggs. Meanwhile, a corn plot and vegetable gardens were planted last spring to supply the foods programs and also give students hands-on experience in the growing process.
Read more at Your Ohio News
