Leading The Way In Sustainable Growing
Leading The Way In Sustainable Growing
Lauren Stockam, University Communications student writer, For the News-Leader
Published June 10, 2018
Smelling like cilantro is normal for Missouri State University seniors Rachel Veenstra and Jennifer Rice.
“I’ve been in class before and people are trying to figure out why it smells like plants,” Veenstra said. “That gives me an opportunity to tell them about what I do.”
The students, both environmental plant science majors in Darr College of Agriculture, make up the Chartwells Green Team. They grow herbs and lettuce for the dining halls on MSU’s campus.
A different system
The Green Team was created to promote sustainability at Missouri State. It started with hydroponic grow towers inside the dining halls.
After receiving a student sustainability grant, the project expanded into a grow room in the basement of Kentwood Hall. The room used to be a utility closet.
With the expansion, the Green Team took hydroponic production to the next level.
“Hydroponics is growing plants without soil,” said Veenstra, a Hartville, Missouri, native.
Hydroponics growing is more efficient than traditional in-ground, soil-based growing. It uses less water, works well in small spaces and produces plants at a much faster rate all-year round.
In the grow room, the duo uses a vertical film technique, where a nutrient solution is dripped over the roots of the plants. That solution leads to a drainage trough that recirculates back through the system.
“We control the nutrients the plants are getting and the pH levels of the water,” Veenstra said, “so working in the grow room is very management intensive.”
Plants don’t take vacations
Veenstra and Rice dedicate many hours to the project.
“We have to monitor the operation as much as possible in case anything goes wrong,” said Rice, who is from Springfield.
This means coming in early every morning and staying late every afternoon. They work in the grow room during breaks, when other students are not on campus.
“Plants don’t take vacations,” Veenstra said, “even when we want to.”
Seeing the final product of their hard work makes the long hours worth it for Veenstra and Rice. They both love harvest day.
“The people in Kentwood always know when we’re harvesting because the smell is overwhelming,” Rice said. “But it’s wonderful.”
The duo grows roughly 20 pounds of fresh produce every 20 days for the dining halls on campus.
“They are always so happy to get the fresh herbs,” Veenstra said. “We bring it to them, they wash it, then immediately start cooking with it.”
Beyond the plants
As part of Chartwells’ sustainability initiative, the Green Team educates people about growing with hydroponics.
Both students have presented the grow towers at events and conferences. Veenstra gave a presentation in San Antonio, Texas, last year titled, “Taking Sustainability to the Basement.”
“That got people intrigued,” Veenstra said. “Once they figured out what it meant, we had a lot of people ask how they can bring a hydroponics system to their own campus.”
The duo also maintains a Green Team blog to keep people informed on their progress in the grow room.
“Since we were funded by a sustainability grant, we feel it’s important for people to know what we are doing with that money,” Veenstra said.
For both Veenstra and Rice, gardening and sustainability are fierce passions. They are grateful for the experiences the Green Team has given them.
“When I’m having a rough day, I go and work with the plants,” Rice said. “It’s my getaway.”