I'm a teacher in a remote arctic community located on an island in Nunavut, Canada; every day a significant portion of my students struggle with food insecurity due to the incredibly high cost of food. This morning as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed an article piqued my interest. This greenhouse in a sea can in Gjoa Haven is powered by wind and solar energy
Courtesy of CBC.caThe local community of Gjoa Haven, government researchers, and the non-profit Arctic Research Foundation are working together to develop sustainable food sources in the arctic. So far, the research is showing that this can and is a feasible option to begin to bring food security to the arctic. With this being said, our school has a budget dedicated to STEM development and enhancement; I want to use a portion of this budget to begin our own classroom gardens.
Courtesy of CBC.caHaving experience working in a greenhouse and having my own gardens will be invaluable in this endeavour; however, I am a first-year teacher and the proposal process has me a little worried. This STEM project will have to be tied to curricular outcomes across many grade levels while involving not only students but also the community. The curricular outcomes I can wrap my head around but I don't have a clue as to what products to purchase in order for the students and community to be successful on their first attempt.
One of the barriers we will immediately face is shipping. We receive only one cargo shipment by sea each year with the remainder of the year being supplies by air cargo. It is extremely expensive to ship anything here so we want to get it correct the first time when our shipment for this project arrives. I am also having to consider which growing method would be the most economical. Any form of growth substrate would be expensive to ship be it dirt or the additives for hydroponic cultivation.
What would you suggest for a simple and reliable vertical garden that would fit well in a classroom environment? I would love to hear all of my options.