Hydroponic and raised bed garden

The ethnobotany class that can verge on being a friendly mob visited the Entrepreneurship center's hydroponic facility and raised bed gardens.


A Nutrient Film Technique system is the oldest system in the hydroponic facility. Produce is sold every Wednesday.


A bucket system was added after the NFT system for fruiting vegetables such as green bell pepper.


An aeroponic tower system was added just this year. Far more compact and space efficient than an NFt system. 


Marco signs the guest register, Merryoleen strikes a pose. Merryoleen was the first to arrive. According to Welbert she arrived in the morning. 


Marco and Merryoleen get ready to moisten rockwool under Welbert's supervision. Keesha, in the background,  is ever aware of the presence of cameras. 


Kelarimalyanne puts on gloves to handle the rockwool.


Kelarimalyanne and Lisarita moisten the rockwool in a bucket.

Delaura displays her rockwool.


Welbert fielding questions from Kelarimalyanne


Dry rockwool


The class efforts, a somewhat mixed result. 

Keesha with her moistened rockwool.

Photographer at work capturing the students rockwool work.


Suean and Mati donning gloves

Outside in the raised beds cucumber is being grown.

Along with eggplan.t 

And okra - used in the states as a substitute for the inner bark of Hibiscus tiliaceus to create the polysaccharide mucilage that is used as an emulsion for sakau. 

Tapioca

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).


The class is always spread out in the field. In a class this large the choice individual students make on where to be in the crowd speaks to their level of interest. Delaura is often near the front of the group, and is focused on the activity at hand. She is also carrying a head of Chinese cabbage. 


With some too far away to know what is being said.

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