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AG. DEPARTMENT GREENHOUSE PROJECT

October 22, 2013

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Eighty-eight Kansas schools currently have greenhouses. Hoxie High School is about to become number 89.

Some months ago a vacant house located on a corner lot northeast of Hoxie High School was demolished. A local businessman purchased the lot and offered to give the deed to the property to the school for the use of Vocational Agriculture department. The businessman asked that the property be used for “hands-on” learning. The Vo-Ag department has decided to erect a greenhouse on the property.

In letters that were sent to community members in the past several weeks, the Ag students and their teacher, Miss Krista Rice, explained the project and the opportunity for cross-curriculum learning to take place.

“Many areas of our school will benefit from the greenhouse project,” they wrote. “The accounting classes will have hands on bookkeeping learning by taking on the accounts receivable and accounts payable of the project. The art department has offered to help with the design, and the computer class will do the marketing. It is the intention of the agricultural classes grow and then sell plants and vegetables to the public, which will ultimately pay for all the expenses of maintaining the greenhouse.”

“We are also hoping to raise some of the vegetables that can be fed to the students in our school cafeteria,” they continued. “The agricultural department will also be able to learn the many aspects of horticulture, agronomy, pesticide and chemical safety, soil science, fertilizer application and plant science. Additionally, they will get great experience in the construction of the greenhouse and then continued learning from the necessary maintenance of the building, equipment, and the yard.”

The funding for the greenhouse will come from grants and from generous donations from the local community.

Greenhouses are found in 18 Class 1A schools in Kansas. Ten schools in northwest Kansas have greenhouses.

To find out more about the Greenhouse Project or to contribute, contact Ms. Krista Rice at 785-675-3286 or email her at krice@hoxie.org.