Fresh local lettuce….in January?

Willsboro students try indoor gardening

Students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades at Willsboro Central School have been experimenting with growing vegetables and herbs indoors, in three grow carts set up with lights in one of the classrooms. According to teacher Tara Valachovic, the supplies were purchased with a STEM grant and so far the students have grown spinach, lettuce, basil, parsley, tomatoes and cucumbers. In addition to being able to sample the fresh foods grown in the middle of winter, some of the herbs and greens have been turned into school lunches by cafeteria staff, giving new meaning to eating local.

The garden has also been used in school curriculum. In one lesson the students used the live plants to help them identify the parts of a flower, and have also “dissected” plants to see what’s inside, making the garden a useful learning tool as well as a shining oasis of green on a cold winter’s day.