GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Students at Gladstone Area Public Schools are learning how to grow their own produce, and they’re seeing the results of their hard work in the cafeteria.
This year, Gladstone High School launched a new agricultural science program.
“The value of this is they get to see not only where their food comes from, but also what careers they may be able to do within the field of agriculture or within the field of animal science,” said Shelley Shurlow, who teaches agriculture and English at the high school. “It’s something new that this area doesn’t have access to all the time of entry positions or careers within the agricultural field.”
Students are gaining that experience firsthand by growing lettuce.
“We start out planting our seeds into the rockwool,” explained sophomore Aiden Ericksen. “We let them germinate for one or two days, and they sprout. Then we take the rockwool and the seedlings, and we put them into the machine—skipping one each time—and then the seed grows.”
Five weeks later, the lettuce is ready for harvesting. Then, it goes to the lunch staff to be used in school meals.
“You see them right now planning out how they’re going to keep the supply in the lunchroom,” Shurlow said. “It’s not just a one-and-done activity. It’s something that we want to produce in the lunchroom, in the community, or out in the world.”
The program is largely student-led. It’s a favorite of seniors like Mason Peltin, who has been advocating for such a course since his freshman year.
“One thing I’ve always been interested in FFA, which is my long-term goal of the program,” he said. “I would love to see FFA in our school. It would help out us and our community a lot because FFA does a lot of volunteering within the community and a lot of help towards that. Plus, going to the national FFA convention would be a lot of fun. You get to meet a lot of cool people.”
As the agricultural science class is a pilot program, resources are limited. Gladstone partners with Hannahville Indian School and its aquaponic program, which utilizes fish in the fertilization process.
“We try to help them out with harvesting and processing that lettuce,” said senior Noel Lee. “They also give us lots of experience and help us to get started. They’ve also put in a good word for us when we applied for a grant.”
Shurlow says the experience teaches students about potential careers they may not have been exposed to in a traditional class.
“The students not only do plant science, it is also animal science, natural resources,” she said. “They can do things within horticulture. Even under the blanket of plant science, there’s multiple avenues that students can go into.”
The class also gives them valuable knowledge and skills they can use on the job, at home, and in their communities.
“I have learned to work well with others,” Ericksen said. “I have been learning the knowledge of how farming works and how the community helps, because farming is a huge community thing.”
Lee added, “It’s pretty amazing what you can do with only a few different things. It’s natural and sustainable.”
“I feel like it shows a different side of things,” said Peltin. “Rather than going to the grocery store and buying your food, you get to see exactly where it comes from.”
Shurlow hopes to garner interest from future students and support from the community to keep the program going in the years to come. The class is also raising funds to purchase a $25,000 hoop house, which would extend the program into other seasons. To inquire about supporting the Gladstone High School agricultural science program, email mshurlow@gladstone.k12.mi.us.
