Dec. 16, 2022 -- The famed Roman scholar Cicero once said, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Roxboro Elementary School took that to heart as they applied for grant money to fund a hydroponics garden tower that will live in their school library.
It all started last spring when Shaker resident Anne Rogerson was walking along the Doan Brook Watershed behind the Roxboro Schools on North Park when she happened upon some science projects. Second grade teacher Malik Daniels’ students had some small inquiry projects set up outside and Ms. Rogerson was enchanted. She went home to research the school, learned it was International Baccalaureate-certified, and reached out to IB Coordinator Melissa Garcar with a proposal.
Ms. Rogerson is the Partnership Development Director for Fork Farms, an organization based in Green Bay, Wisconsin who sets schools, groups, and communities up with hydroponic grow towers because they believe “that everyone should have access to fresh food and the inspiration to live happy and healthy lives.” Their signature product, the indoor vertical Flex Farm, can grow more than 394 pounds of produce every year, all while taking up little space.
Ms. Garcar thought it sounded amazing. Until she learned that it cost nearly $5,000. “There are tons of great ideas I’d love to bring to Roxboro,” she said. “But can we afford this?”
Enter retired kindergarten teacher Lynne Maragliano who said, “Let’s write a grant!” With media ancillary Michele Alexander, the three set out to do something they’d never done before: raise significant amounts of money to purchase a hydroponics tower. An initial neighborhood mini-grant from Future Heights for $1,000 will cover the cost of ongoing seed and material purchases. “We were super excited when we found out in October that we’d gotten that money,” said Ms. Garcar.
And then, just before Thanksgiving, they learned they were being granted $5,000 from the Ohio Learning STEM Network and Battelle. One of just nine schools in Cuyahoga County to earn this money, Roxboro can now purchase the tower which students will use to grow four different types of lettuces. With an ultra-fast grow cycle of just fourteen days, the school and community will benefit from frequent harvests with lettuce being used in the lunchroom and sent home with students every few weeks.
Community collaboration is a key part of this project and students from science teacher Peter Adorjan’s Environmental Club at Roxboro Middle will help test pH levels in the soil and maintain soil and water health. Every elementary student will have the opportunity to participate in planting, caring for, and harvesting the lettuces. And eating them!
Ms. Rogerson will also be involved, helping to train the staff when the tower arrives in the new year, bringing her idea to life.
