After nearly two years in the making, Betty Comerford's seventh grade Home and Career Skills class stood proudly in front of their sprouting baby lettuce greens, ready for harvest, as Hommocks Middle School officially opened their new Greenhouse yesterday.
The Greenhouse will eventually be home to kale, cabbage, cucumbers, tomato and peppers plants as part of Michelle Obama's national movement toward sustainability and healthy eating for children.
"The Greenhouse will serve as a learning center to educate and provide students with an important connection between the foods they eat and the source of the food, an opportunity that otherwise many will never have. Not only will they learn where food comes from and the nutritional benefits, they will also acquire the skills needed to sustainably grow fresh organic produce," said School Spokesperson Debbie Manetta.
The project was funded by the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation—who provided money for an initial engineering, structural and architectural plans—and a state grant. Hommocks custodial and maintenance staff built furniture and did the plumbing and electrical work; Joanne Grossman of Larchmont Nurseries and Greenhouse worked with Comerford to obtain grant money and till an outside garden and Hommocks parent Perri McKinney volunteered her time and skills to teaching kids proper planting techniques.
"We look forward to shopping at the Hommocks farmers market very soon," said Sally Cantwell, president of the Foundation.
