Students learn to grow and give in Greenhouse

Zion Belcastro, 16, moved from Oroville, Calif., to live with her aunt in Carson City to be a part of Carson High School’s agriculture program, specifically the Greenhouse Project.

“Where I’m from, it’s cows, sows and plows,” she explained. “Here, it’s more than that. It’s public speaking. It’s leadership. It’s the greenhouse. It’s a lot more than ranching.”

The Greenhouse Project started in 2010 on the Carson High School campus as an educational tool for students in the agriculture program. It has since grown to include a second greenhouse at the Carson Tahoe Hospital, and a third location is being considered at Mills Park.

“It’s a really important science,” said Cory King, site manager for the Greenhouse at Carson High School. “We need to talk about our food systems in general. The skills they learn here are applicable in their own lives and also possibly in a career in agriculture.”

In addition to the educational component, the greenhouse also provides a community service.

About 2,000 pounds of fresh produce from the Greenhouse Project is donated annually to service organizations throughout Carson City. Foliage grown there is used to create the hanging flower baskets downtown.

That’s part of the appeal for Keefe Warren, 18, a student in the greenhouse management class.

“Giving back to the community betters us as a society,” Warren said. “The more we are on our phones, the more disconnected we are from other people and things. It’s good we get to connect with the earth.”

The greenhouse can be a reprieve for Victoria Soriano, 17, who plans to pursue a degree in agriculture sciences.

“The greenhouse is a really good place to unwind,” she said. “I struggle sometimes, and coming in here expands my mind. You can see your progress, and your progress helps other people. You work and you grow with the plants.”

While students like Belcastro have a lifetime of experience in agriculture, others are completely new to it.

“It’s been interesting to have that juxtaposition of rural and urban,” Belcastro said. “No matter what race, origin, political beliefs … it’s really inclusive.”

Maritza Filson, 17, entered the program completely new to the field.

“To produce one apple, it takes hundreds of hours of labor,” she said. “It’s easy to forget that when you can just go to the (supermarket) and pick one up.”

She is no longer a novice.

“Agriculture has allowed me to see a new perspective on the world. It shows me where my food comes from and given me leadership opportunities. It has allowed me to grow not just as a student, but as a person.”

After working with the Greenhouse Project, she has decided to dedicate her life to helping the food insecure.

She plans to attend the University of California, Davis and major in international agriculture.

“I want to work to modernize agricultural technologies,” she said. “I want to use agriculture to do good in the world.”

The annual Concert Under the Stars, which is featuring three main acts this year — Poco, Firefall and Pure Prairie League — is one of the main funding mechanisms for the Greenhouse Project.

Tickets for the Concert Under the Stars, which begins 5:30 p.m. July 10 at the Eagle Valley Golf Course, are available at carsoncitygreenhouse.org.

VIP tickets on the green, which include dinner and are limited to 44 seats, are $175. They are only available by calling Karen Abowd at (775) 232-8626.

Gold Circle tickets, which include reserved parking, are $75.
Reserved tickets are $49 and standing-room only are $30.
Tents also remain available and include a catered buffet, two bottles of red wine, two bottles of white wine, beer, soda and cocktail service.

Concert proceeds allow the Greenhouse Project to remain in operation for students to continue to learn.
“You get to work with your hands,” said student Marvin Escobedo, 18. “You get to see what you’ve grown — and even taste it sometimes.”

If You Go
WHAT: Concert Under the Stars
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. July 10
WHERE: Eagle Valley Golf Course, 3999 Centennial Park Dr.
TICKETS: carsoncitygreenhouse.org
VOLUNTEER: Contact Karen Abowd at karenabowd@hotmail.com or (775) 232-8626