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Students build a sustainable future — through salad

Posted at 8:17 AM, May 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-05 08:17:09-04

KENTWOOD, Mich. -- When you think of a party, what comes to mind? Games, cake, maybe balloons?

For two fifth grade classes at Discovery Elementary School, the answer is salad, and lots of it, thanks to our FOX 17 viewers and a $500 grant from the Kentwood Education Foundation.

You'll remember, students were researching and raising money, hoping to buy two indoor tower gardens. The tower gardens allow plants to grow in just water and nutrients, no dirt.

Tuesday, students celebrated with a salad party. They ate the lettuce and basil they have been growing for months.

"Thanks to [FOX 17] coming in, that helped give our project exposure," Amanda Barbour said. "We raised a lot of money through the GoFundMe page."

Since March, Mrs. Barbour's students have been growing peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet basil, rainbow chard, gourmet lettuce, and bib lettuce.

The tower gardens are not only growing produce but growing minds. The kids are writing persuasive arguments on how plants can grow without soil, plus they're measuring their plants.

"It means a lot to them," said Mrs. Barbour. "They get excited every time they come in" and plants show growth. "It's an incredible process."