Pickens students enjoying produce grown at school
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PICKENS -- Produce grown by students in the Pickens School's "high tunnel" is now being served on the school's lunch trays.
A high tunnel is a form of a greenhouse that has retractable sides so that the area can be left open or closed in order to extend the harvest season. Construction of the Pickens School high tunnel, donated by Plant the Seed Project WV, began in the fall of 2022. The high tunnel is approximately 30 feet wide by 48 feet long.
By this spring, students started planting seeds in containers. Once the vegetable beds were built, students planted their germinated crops in the high tunnel.
Today, students in K-12th grade are enjoying the bounty of their efforts on their lunch trays. Students are currently growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, squash, strawberries and lettuce.
Pickens High School students are currently enrolled in agricultural courses through Tygarts Valley High School, taught by FFA teacher Lee Wright. Elementary and middle school students will use the high tunnel as an outdoor classroom for science class.
Pickens School officials hope that, by having the high tunnel, students will be interested in agriculture at a young age. Hopefully they will take the skills they learn at school and use them at home and after they graduate.
Pickens School has been working closely with Ed and Carole Daniels, coordinators of Plant the Seed Project, for the past two years to finish the project.
In addition, Pickens School officials would like to recognize and thank everyone who had a helping hand with building the high tunnel, including the local community members and parents who volunteered their labor, Northwest Hardwoods for donating the wood for the raised beds, Liggett's Supply for donating seeds and providing discounts on supplies, and Cochran and Son's Construction for their labor.
In the future, officials hope to plant a larger variety of fruits and vegetables, to teach the students how their food goes from a tiny seed to fresh, organic vegetables on their lunch trays.