The new hoop house has six rows of growing produce that extend the entire length.
Now that it’s built, Sustainability will be able to sell more produce during the school year.
Students can witness the growing and harvesting process firsthand while being on campus during the school year.
The hope is for students to get involved and learn more about agriculture.
One short walk from the Campus Safety House to the hoop house, and you’ll see campus from the other side of the train tracks.
Summer student workers Hannah Cotton (left) and Rachel McLaren (right) live in the Women’s Restoration House, just a few yards away from the hoop house. They enjoy fresh vegetables in many of their meals as fruits of their labor.
Rachel, Hannah, and their housemates can even see the hoop house from their living room window!
The source for the hoop house back door? Home Depot.
Students were able to build the frame, which contracted workers from Lancaster then completed.
One of the smartest features of the design is that, with a few turns of a handle, the protective side coverings can raise or lower to adjust temperature and airflow inside.
The new hoop house will allow students to grow and harvest fruits almost year-round, with the exception of one or two of the winter months.
Produce includes bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, sun-gold cherry tomatoes (delicious and impossibly sweet), and big beef tomatoes (perfect for sandwiches).
Did you know sweet potatoes have blossoms? This soft purple flower peeks up from its leafy bedding.
Check out the Farm Stand, operating on Tuesdays after chapel from 10:30am to 12:00pm in the Eisenhower Commons.
The sustainability team is always looking for volunteers to come in to help with the gardening process.
The Sustainability Office hopes the new hoop house will teach students about the value of caring for the earth.