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BLUE EARTH -- Blue Earth Area High School recently received a $3,000 grant to purchase equipment for the school's greenhouse, as well as make repairs.
The grant is through the AgStar Fund for Rural America, now through the company Compeer Financial. The funds will purchase tables and equipment that will be used in the greenhouse.
Holly Stevermer, high school agricultural science teacher, said the school has received grants from AgStar Financial Services in the past to purchase equipment in the classroom, including drawing tables for landscape design.
"They are really good with their grants for helping youth to get started," she said. "It's really nice that they support schools."
The agricultural department has had trouble in the past when it came to greenhouses. A few years ago, the high school greenhouse blew away during a big storm, with pieces of it strewn across the parking lot and football field. By all accounts, the greenhouse was beyond repair.
To replace the one that was damaged, the school received a grant to purchase a temporary greenhouse. Stevermer said the new greenhouse is significantly smaller than the former one, and it can't be used year-long because of the lack of heating.
"We would love to get a full-functioning one that could be part of our curriculum all year long, but at this point we don't have that," she said.
Recently, the roof panels of the temporary greenhouse were blown off, making the greenhouse unusable. Stevermer said the grant also will be used to repair the roof.
Stevermer said her students have responded well to spending class time in the greenhouse. With the greenhouse not in use, plants line the countertops of the agriculture classroom to be studied by the students.
"It definitely brings what we're learning in the classroom to life and the hands-on stuff is wonderful," Stevermer said. "Students really engage more with that type of learning."
Although the greenhouse is currently only used for agriculture classes, Stevermer hopes that in the future its use can go beyond the agricultural program. She said students in science classes, family and consumer sciences and the FFA program could benefit from the hands-on learning the greenhouse provides.
Stevermer said the hope is to be able to purchase a larger, more permanent greenhouse in the future.
"Eventually, when we do get a full-functioning greenhouse, this equipment that we get with this grant can also be put in there," she said. "We just don't know when that will be because of funding."
Stevermer said the average greenhouse costs anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000, in addition to operating costs such as power and water. Because there is limited room in the budget, Stevermer said funds would likely have to come through donation or a grant.
"Schools have them, it's just getting the right person to donate," she said.
Richard Schneider, Blue Earth Area high school principal, said that while the school may look into having a fundraiser in the future, he is hesitant when it comes to asking the community for money.
"We're a small community and the demand, even for fundraisers, is great because there are so many organizations out there that are seeking money," he said.
For now, said Stevermer, her class is "making do" with the smaller greenhouse and incorporating it into the curriculum.
"There is something out there at least, but it has not been very useful for us," she said. "But hopefully we can fix it up and make do until we can get a new one."