Jun. 20—The Yuba River Endowment Board of Directors recently voted to donate $11,000 to fund tower gardens for Wheatland Elementary School, representatives of the endowment said.
According to the endowment, tower gardens use aeroponics to grow plants with only water and nutrients rather than dirt.
"On average, aeroponic gardening grows three times faster than traditional gardening, with 30% greater yields. The tower garden has a vertical, compact design that requires as little as 10% of the space and water as a traditional garden," the endowment said. "The tower garden's three-tier system is designed for planting items like herbs, mini sunflowers and strawberries in the top; nasturtiums, mustard greens and snap peas in the middle; and chili peppers, cherry tomatoes, pumpkins and watermelons in the bottom."
The Wheatland Elementary Parent Teacher Committee shared with the board details of the classroom gardening opportunity.
"Agriculture is the backbone of our Wheatland community, but our elementary school does not have the space to do an outdoor garden on campus," Angela Waltz, secretary of the committee, said in a statement. "We love the idea of having these tower gardens that can be fully functional, maintained, and secure within the classrooms. Students will have the ability to experience how plants grow via a hands-on approach from seed to harvest."
Funding provided by the Yuba River Endowment will allow for the purchase of six tower gardens and lifetime curriculum access for about 450 students of Wheatland Elementary School's six grade levels. Representatives of the endowment said the curriculum is grade- and age-specific, and includes more than 30 lessons in literacy, math and science.
"Our motto for the Endowment is 'Local Farmers Giving Back,'" local farmer and Yuba River Endowment board member Mike Filice said in a statement. "We want to make sure agriculture stays strong in Yuba County for generations to come. Gardening from a young age is a great way to help our youth understand where food comes from and feel pride in eating what you grow. We can't wait to see the gardens in action."