The Greenhouse is Getting Greener

In 2001, Cascade High School was at the top of the industry standards with the installation of the greenhouse on campus, with a solid wooden frame and poly panels to draw in adequate sunlight. Couldn't get much better... back in the day. Time for an upgrade! What is going on with the greenhouse? Why is it coming down? What is happening?? Hopefully, this will answer some questions...

So many new things that we encounter in the agricultural community that we would like to incorporate into our school, yet one thing holds us back... efficiency. Farm to table, school composting, educating our elementary students about plant and food production, incorporating all our knowledge into being able to enjoy the "fruits of our labor". After operating the greenhouse the past couple years, Mrs. Ward saw some issues with the efficiency of the current structure. Wanting to build a school "Farm to Table" program within the school, being able to grow plants earlier in the year out in the greenhouse is mandatory. After deliberating with the CTE (Career Technical Education) Advisory committee in April, they all agreed that an upgrade to the greenhouse would bring about a positive change to Cascade High School, but we decided it may take us several years to accomplish that upgrade.

Fast forward to the end of June 2023... Mrs. Ward gets a text from Barb Byrne about some friends (Pat and Becky Parker) who wanted to sell the Ag department an 18 by 48 foot hoop house, including tables, the heating system, ventilation, and many other components to make it operational. With a very reasonable price set, Mrs. Ward set out to make some phone calls... Before she had a chance to respond, she received a text back from Barb (the next day) stating that she had purchased the hoop house and new plastic and donated it back to the Cascade FFA program. (happy tears...) WHAT!?? This can't be for real!? With no mention to anyone outside the Advisory Committee about our April meeting, how did they know that we were wanting to upgrade our greenhouse system?

With a blur of July, plans being made and ideas figured out, can we really do it? Mrs. Ward finally had a chance to meet up with Pat and Becky Parker and Barb Byrne regarding the amazing donation to the Agricultural department at Cascade High School. After much collaboration, plans were put into play. The Agricultural Mechanics class, under direction of Mrs. Ward, will deconstruct the old greenhouse and, working the Parkers, deconstruct the hoop house on the Parker's property and reconstruct the hoop house on school grounds. Barb Byrne will be donating her time and equipment to help pull up the support structures, load them onto a flatbed trailer and haul them all to the school. And again, using her equipment to auger new holes and set the supports back into the ground. With direction from the Parkers, the class will set up the hoop house on campus in the same general location as the old greenhouse, just changing up the angles a little bit to gain full benefits for plant growth from the sunlight. With hoops up and set, and plastic pulled on, the Ag Mechanics class will build the end walls and install the heating and ventilation systems, under the guidance of the Parkers.

Timing will be tight, as we will be racing Mother Nature and Winter. As we all know, plans change, but it's always good to have a goal to stick to, and our goal is by Thanksgiving break, the hoop house will be up. Come spring, we are planning to complete some landscaping at the front of the school by the greenhouse location, to make it a welcoming site to our students, community members and visitors alike. Keep an eye out for amazing opportunities for community involvement with the hoop house, with plans of incorporating a community garden, as well as a farm to table vegetable garden for our student population. Don't worry! We are still planning on holding our annual flower and garden plant sales, open for Mother's day in May!

Please know, we are aware that many of our community members were involved in building the old greenhouse and we are forever grateful! But now it's time for a new generation to leave their positive mark with the school for many decades to come, just like the past.

With a GIANT Thank you to Barb Byrne for the donation and continued support of Cascade FFA, and to Pat and Becky Parker for thinking about us to help improve our program! We can not thank you enough for all the support you have shown our program! We hope to make you proud!