In the Shaw neighborhood, near Saint Louis’ iconic, world-renowned Botanical Garden, a new school is in the works. The Green House Venture is a joint effort from Saint Louis University, Mullanphy Investigative Learning Center, Saint Louis Language Immersion School, Saint Margaret of Scotland School and Tower Grove Christian Academy that aims to teach children about how food is produced, from seed to plate.
Students will learn traditional growing methods alongside cutting edge technologies such as hyrdroponics and aquaponics. Waste from the fish in the aquaponic systems will be used to fertilize the plants, teaching children how sustainable farming and food production systems mimic natural ecosystems. Students will also learn how to cook the food they grow, providing lifelong skills for everyone, including those that might not wish to pursue food careers.
The fish and vegetables produced from the greenhouse will be put on the plates of students who participate in free or reduced-price lunch programs. Under-served neighborhoods often lack access to fresh, local foods, so providing low-income students with the vegetables and fish grown at the greenhouse fills a need for the community.
The importance of having local foods available at affordable costs is crucial to the social, environmental and economic resilience of our city. Fresh produce is often shipped from hundreds of miles from its original source to grocery stores, which compromises their nutritional quality and impacts the environment. Not only is food fresher and more nutritionally dense when grown close to its destination, but cities are far more prepared to face challenges such as climate change when their food sources are local.
The Green House Venture, set to open its doors in 2019, will teach the importance of food security, self-reliance and encourage STEM educational pathways through a deeper understanding of the science that makes food possible.
