MCSH Students Bloom Outside The Classroom
April Ellis
Herald Staff
aellis@harrodsburgherald.com
Geraniums, begonias and tomatoes, oh my! Even though Mother Nature has kept spring a little on the gloomy, wet side, it’s time to start planting and the Mercer County Senior High (MCSH) greenhouse is in full bloom and ready to sell.
Students in agriculture teacher Kyle Porter’s greenhouse class have taken what they learned from their books in the classroom and transformed it into a greenhouse packed with hanging baskets and trays full of annuals and vegetables and even a watermelon variety or two. New to the greenhouse this year is the yellow watermelon.
“As an educator I think it’s important to see how the classroom is applied to the real world,” said Porter. “The theories they have learned in biology may not resonate until they see it. Now they are able to see the parts of the flower and see how they work. It shows the relevancy of what they learn.”
Once the students were finished in the classroom, they got their hands dirty, preparing trays with top soil before seeding them. After weeks of watering and caring for their plants, now they get to learn a new skill…salesmanship.
While senior Jeff Martin was aiming for an easy class his senior year, he was surprised at everything he was taught.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot. I thought a tomato was a tomato. Now I know there are 18 different breeds,” said Martin. “We’ve definitely learned how to care for plants and now we are getting ready to learn sales and how to deal with customers.”
To earn their final grade, students will run the greenhouse sales for the next four weeks, trying to help customers find just the right plant or vegetable.
This weekend, Saturday, April 28, they will be their grand opening with extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Normal business hours will be Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sales will run through May 26.
Proceeds from the plant and vegetable sales go back into the greenhouse for the next round of students.
Cameron Purdom waters the hanging baskets in the MCSH greenhouse.
Michael DiGiovanni double checks that the plant trays are draining properly.
To learn more, check out this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald.
