Worcester elementary students learn about science while helping to feed the community
WORCESTER — Students at a Worcester elementary school are learning about science while helping to feed their community through an afterschool program run by a local non-profit.
About a dozen kids from the Vernon Hills Elementary School spend several hours a week after school dressed in lab coats and head covers. They get lessons in agriculture and chemistry in the basement of the school, then head out to their lab, which is a large shipping container that has been converted into a vertical farm used for hydroponic vegetable farming.
"Hydroponics is when you use artificial light, nutrients, water and oxygen," explained student Mia Endino.
The result is several moving walls inside the container growing everything from carrots to collard greens, all using 70% less water than traditional farming.
"This is the future," explained instructor, Charles Luster. "With global warming, this allows us to grow food 365 days a year without interruption."
Luster is a farming enthusiast who created Together We Eat, a youth hydroponic farming program with a simple goal.
"I'm just trying to feed my community," he said.
After creating the organization, Luster soon discovered that sharing his passion for hydroponics with children could do a lot more.
"We are building self-esteem," he said. "We get to show them that they are the leaders of tomorrow, that this is the same way they are growing vegetables in space."
For principal, Craig Dottin, the program is a win all around.
"To see these students retain information with excitement, to see their excitement in responding to questions and to see them wanting to be part of something, it's great to see engagement in learning," he said.
By taking some of their harvest home, many of these kids are exposed to foods they've never tried, like arugula.
"I think it's really spicy and I really like it," said Jake Manue.
"We get to show them how to grow the food and we get to talk to them about how healthy it is and then they get to go home and spread the word to their families," Luster said.
The mutual respect between Luster and these kids is obvious, and their enthusiasm grows as quickly as the plants they tend.
"It feels like a blessing," said a 3rd grader named Ethan. "As soon as I come in and see the plants, then I'm like wow, all this hard work from hydroponics."
"I'm just very proud of myself for choosing this hydroponics program," he continued.
In addition to sending produce home with the kids, the program also donates the harvest to local food banks and non-profits.
Together We Eat is looking to partner with more schools in Massachusetts.
Find out more here.
