About two years ago, the North Crawford School District began the process of building a greenhouse. Now, it has become an integral part of the agriculture department in the district.

In the fall of 2024, the greenhouse was officially completed. With the project, the agriculture program was given the space to flourish.

The cost of the project, including the foundation, the building, and utilities, was about $100,000. Despite the hefty price tag, the district feels it was the right decision.

“It provides additional learning opportunities for students, it’s a life skill, and it allows for a strong community connection,” North Crawford Superintendent Brandon Munson said about the program.

Agriculture education teacher and FFA adviser Mackenzie Knutson is heavily involved in the operation of the greenhouse at North Crawford. She believes that building the greenhouse was an important piece to improving the agriculture department.

“The inspiration was that it would provide students with a hands-on experience and a lab space outside of the classroom,” Knutson said.

In the fall semester, the building is maintained, but it is mostly not in use, while the program is still finding its footing. During the spring, however, there is much more to be done.

Knutson teaches a greenhouse class in the spring, where she provides students with practical experience in the care and cultivation of plants.

Participants in the class, along with members of the FFA, are responsible for the purchasing and sale of plants, presenting students with experience in the marketing aspect of the project.

The students determine the plants that are grown in the greenhouse, but the FFA handles purchasing the plants and materials needed, and they get to keep any profit earned from the sales.

Many FFA members are also involved in the class, which counts as supervised agricultural experience, a learning experience in agricultural education required in FFA.

Gaining hands-on experience is often exciting for students, and Knutson feels that knowing where the food you eat comes from and how to grow it is important to impart to students.

The greenhouse has been a great tool in enhancing the agricultural program. Knutson’s favorite part of running the greenhouse is being able to get outside and play in soil, especially during the winter months, although there is so much more to it than just having fun in the dirt.

The greenhouses, and especially the plants inside, need continuous care. Students have many responsibilities, both during and beyond classroom hours, including watering plants on weekends and over school breaks.

One of the most enthusiastic students involved in the program is senior Alivia Mellem.

Mellem spends about an hour or two in the greenhouse everyday watering, planting, and attending to the plants’ needs.

“I help a lot in my garden at home, and I find working with plants to be therapeutic,” Mellem said about why she chose to get involved.

Aside from working with the plants, Mellem loves to see the variety of students in different grades working in the greenhouse.

Harvest time is one of the students’ most exciting moments. When the plants are harvested, there are many different things that can be done with them.

Most of the plants are sold, but some are saved for serving at graduation, and others are given to the North Crawford food service department.

The agriculture department specifically grows hydroponic lettuce, and hopes to add tomatoes, to be served in school meals.

Although there isn’t enough lettuce being grown to replace out-sourced lettuce entirely, the greenhouse’s contribution is exciting to the food service department.

“I love the fact that it was grown here, by our students,” Food Service Director Jen Kapinus said.

Kapinus and Knutson are working together to expand the program, in order to provide even more food to the student body.

Having the greenhouse has been a great experience for the district, with new experiences and more hands-on learning for students in the agriculture department, as well as supplying student-grown, fresh produce for school meals, with boundless opportunities for the future.