The Roaring Fork Valley Food Sustainability Project has teamed up with two Western Colorado high schools to build geodesic dome greenhouses. The domes provide space for students to grow food year-round and learn science in the process. With guidance and support from CU-Denver PhD. candidate Illène Pevec, as well as from two local non-profits, both schools are engaging students in sustainable agriculture practices.
Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale opened their greenhouse this August with help from Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Fat City Farmers, volunteers from Carbondale Rotary, and CU Boulder INVST students. Students and volunteers helped install the climate battery system and learn how the dome’s sun-warmed air is circulated into the ground via the climate battery pipes to provide a year-round growing environment without using fossil fuel generated heat. The Agricultural Biology Program at RFHS uses the dome and its outdoor gardens as well as visits to local organic farms to learn sustainable agriculture. Many plants grown within the dome go into the school lunch.
Yampa Mountain High School in Glenwood Springs opened their geodesic dome greenhouse, built by students with community expert help, in Spring 2008. Students use the dome for their science horticulture class and prepare salads and soups with ingredients grown in the dome. Both high school programs emphasize hands-on learning so that students seed, tend, harvest, cook and eat what they grow.
The CU Boulder Outreach Committee has awarded two grants to help these schools buy books, go on field trips, create internships, and participate in research about how gardening affects adolescents. Future plans at Roaring Fork Valley High School include a summer farm school to train a new generation of organic farmers. To celebrate the Global Climate Action Day students, parents, teachers and community volunteers are planting the schools fruit orchard on 10-10-10 and serving up a locally grown lunch to all volunteers!
Learn more about Roaring Fork High School’s greenhouse project at http://www.rfhs-greenhouse.blogspot.com/.