Lacombe Composite High School’s EcoVision program hopes to grow tropical fruit and vegetables in a school greenhouse with some expert help.
Jerome Osentowski is the founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI), which is involved in sustainable greenhouse growing.
Osentowski, who has helped other schools start self-sustaining greenhouses, was at Lacombe high school on Monday.
Osentowski said a school greenhouse can provide fresh food to the school cafeteria, teach students new skills and involve the community.
Students learned of Osentowski’s work from a blog that shared details of construction of a greenhouse more than 7,000 feet above sea level in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Osentowski sells dome greenhouse kits through a company called Ecosystem Designs.
The Lacombe school hopes to erect one in September.
EcoVision facilitator Steve Schultz said the students in the program have a dream to build an educational, environmental and community greenhouse.
“Jerome has tons of experience and we know the model has been tried and tested, and worked,” said Schultz.
“We can bring the community together to have a large greenhouse that has minimal carbon footprint while growing tropical fruits and vegetables in the middle of the winter.”
Schultz said there will be an educational aspect to the program, with partnerships between school departments.
“Our career and technical studies will help us with the design and building of the greenhouse.
“Our foods department is going to be telling us the types of food they will need for the cafeteria.”
The greenhouse will also initiate a new course, Introduction to Agriculture, that will focus on how the food is grown and help students manage their own gardens and greenhouses.
Ostenkowski is growing fruits and vegetables that normally could only be found in the hottest parts of the world.
He is also doing this using no fossil fuels.
More information about Osentowski and CRMPI can be found at www.crmpi.org.
The EcoVision greenhouse project is looking for volunteers or materials.
More information on the greenhouse project is available by contacting Schultz at 403-782-6615 ext. 5205 or by visiting the program’s website at www.lchsecovision.weebly.com.
cpapke@www.reddeeradvocate.com