Feeding the future

Students at Jay County High School are using class work as a way to give back to the community in a service-learning project.
The high school’s chapter of FFA (Future Farmers of America) donated 400 flats of vegetables to the community that it has been growing since March.
The vegetables were sent to Community and Family Services to be picked up by gardeners to replant and raise, said Carly Nichols, community services specialist. Local gardeners can also place the vegetables in the community garden at Jay County Hospital.
“It’s beneficial because low-income people can have a plot in the garden and can grow their own food for free,” she said.
Brittany Bridges, Jay County High School vocational agriculture teacher, said the project is an opportunity for students to aid the community while learning.
The donations promote healthy eating and makes fresh vegetables available, Bridges said.  
“It kind of opens the community’s eyes as to what agriculture can offer and that vegetables don’t just show up in the grocery store on the shelf,” she said. “They’re able to see what actual effort goes into producing their food.”
FFA grew six varieties of tomatoes, six varieties of peppers, broccoli, carrots and cabbage in the high school’s greenhouse, Bridges said.
The class was able to grow various vegetables and plants thanks to a $3,500 Living to Serve grant from the USDA and FFA, Bridges said. The grant covers the costs of containers, plant seeds, fertilizer and soil.
The school has received the grant for the past three years, with a total of up to $10,000 received.
Shelbi Louck, JCHS senior and community greenhouse co-chair, said the project is a way for students to get hands-on experience.
“It really helps (us) know more about agriculture because people don’t realize how much work goes into one plant,” she said. “It helps people realize they don’t have to get their vegetables from cans.”
Louck said the students first planted flowers in February and then planted vegetables in March.
They spent the last several months learning how to care for them.
JCHS sophomore and community greenhouse co-chair Lauren Evans said the project is an outlet to assist people who may need extra resources.
“I think it also helps because there are families out there that can’t afford all the freshly grown vegetables and they miss out on that,” she said. “It gives us the good name of trying to help out the community.”
The project was started three years ago when Jay County Hospital Foundation chair John Young wanted to start a community garden. Young said he teamed up with Bridges and Community and Family Services after finding out they similar interests.
Plants the FFA raised in the JCHS greenhouse were available to community gardeners Monday and Tuesday, Young said. Anything left over is available to the public for purchase.
Young said 24 plots in the community garden have been reserved, but spaces are still available. Anyone interested can contact fill out the required forms at Jay County Hospital.
“A lot of people don’t have space for a garden where they live,” Young said. “People can eat fresh vegetables they raise so you know there they came from. It’s a real benefit.”


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