ALBANY – When Dougherty County School System students return to school next month, they may notice something fresh on their lunch trays. The lettuce in their salads will come from a hydroponic greenhouse operated by their peers.
During the previous school year, interns in the Agribusiness Pathway at Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy helped supply fresh vegetables to one of the system’s three high schools. And that program is gearing up for the 2024-25 school year.
“We did a test run for the last half of the school year with Monroe (High School), just because it’s right over there,” 4C Agribusiness Instructor Megan Vereen said. “The chef over there was on board. That went well.
“Starting in August, we will supply lettuce for all three high schools and all four middle schools.”
Credit: Photo Courtesy of Alan Mauldin
Credit: Photo Courtesy of Alan Mauldin
Officials with the 4C Academy said the plan is to provide other products in the future.
“Everything is looking (like) mid-year we’ll be able to produce cucumbers, jalapenos and bell peppers,” Vereen said.
Recently the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Good Agricultural Practices certification for the program, which although not required, provides additional confidence in food safety practices.
The extensive certification process included inspecting documents and the food growing, storage and packaging procedures.
“That gives us an extra layer of credibility that we’re doing all the food safety standards to feed the public,” Vereen said. “It has a big traceability process.”
In the event of a safety issue, the date and section from which the produce came can be traced.
“If there ever is a problem, we can pull the lettuce that came from that section,” Vereen said.
Credit: Alan Mauldin
Credit: Alan Mauldin
During the summer, five interns -- four rising high school seniors and one college student -- have been tending the 5,000-square-foot greenhouse, which actually has one 2,500-square-foot area for lettuce and a building of equal size for vine crops.
While the students get hands-on experience working in production, they also learn finance and other skills needed in the work force. Those include “soft skills” like showing up on time, notifying Vereen if they will be absent and time management.
“If they have a problem, they’re supposed to work it out,” Vereen said. “I try not to hover.”
The plants are fed by two 1,200-gallon underground tanks in which nutrients are mixed with water to grow the plants.
For Kirsten Hayes, an agribusiness major who will be a senior at Tuskegee University during the coming school year, the experience has been great.
“It’s different from sitting in the classroom for the last three years,” she said. “I didn’t know how to run a greenhouse. I didn’t know anything about gardening. I never wanted to be a person to sit behind a desk.
“I’ve been able to learn so much. This internship has opened me up to so many things. This has been the best internship I’ve had so far. I learned to can green beans. I went to my first cow show. It’s been rewarding, and it’s something I get to take back to my university and tell people about.”
McKenzie Whitaker, a rising senior at Westover High School in Albany, also excitedly recounted her experiences.
“We went with Farmer Fredo (Fredando Jackson) to an event and we got to give out vegetables,” she said. “I really enjoyed that. I got to meet a senator (state Sen. Freddie Powell Sims). The pathway has been a great opportunity. I don’t mind the hard work.”
In addition to the greenhouse operation, the students are tending the outdoor garden at the 4C Academy campus. Produce from that garden is donated monthly to the Salvation Army for food distribution events.
Recent additions to the farm operation include two goats and chickens that came by mail and are expected to start laying eggs in a few months.
“I kind of like the pathway,” Trent McCrary, who will be a senior this year at Dougherty High, said. “It’s sort of interesting to me. I’m going to use this pathway to pursue what I really want to do. I’m thinking some agriculture business, nothing specific yet.
“I think the best thing I got out of the pathway was people skills, working with people.”
Receiving the USDA’s GAP certification was an important accomplishment, 4C CEO Chris Hatcher said.
“I’m extremely excited about this program and our recent GAP certification, mainly for the opportunities it provides for student engagement and experience that will help them in the future,” he said. “The students in this program will not only learn to work and operate in the growing field of controlled-environment agriculture, they will also be a part of a student-driven enterprise and will learn about production, distribution/logistics, managing costs, marketing.
“It is truly a real-world learning opportunity that will position our students for success.”
Credit: Albany Herald
Credit: Albany Herald
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