IMG 1559 1024x683, TMAYou may not know it, but there’s a tropical paradise at Talcott. The greenhouse, tucked away on the second floor of the Chrono building, has long been a favorite spot for students and staff. They love to get their hands dirty planting, watering, pruning and harvesting a wide variety of plants, including many fruits and vegetables.

This year, thanks to a Garden Grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, Talcott will be expanding its facilities to include a new, freestanding greenhouse. This new structure, along with the additional supplies included in the grant, will extend the growing season on the mountain and give Talcott the ability to engage more students in hands-on gardening-related activities that increase their awareness of where food comes from. It will also help them recognize the environmental factors that are essential to growing healthy plants that reap healthy harvests.

And the learning doesn’t end there! These lessons will carry over into other classes, where students will learn the importance of whole, minimally processed foods in a healthy diet and be encouraged to try new foods harvested right on campus. Some students will also explore ‘Seeds of the World,’ learning about different plant groups, their cultural origins, how to classify plants, and seed anatomy.

Learning has never tasted so good!