CERRO GORDO, Ill. (WAND) - Through a program called MyGardyn, students at Cerro Gordo Elementary are learning how to grow plants inside. By using hydroponic towers, students can feed, water and harvest plants before central Illinois weather cooperates.
"We started in the beginning of January with pods that [looked] like [a] Keurig cup, and it took about 25 days for the plants to start growing," said Jody Giberson, a fourth grade teacher at Cerro Gordo Elementary. "Now we've harvested two or three times already."
Students use the towers to learn about the life cycle of a plant and how it adapts to changing conditions. They even learned what it would take to grow certain plants on Mars.
"What I've learned about plants is that they are all over the world," said Hudson, a fourth grader. "They all have different climates and some can't survive in others, but some can. They have their own adaptations to help them survive."
As the students harvest a selection of leafy greens from the towers, they prepare salads for their classmates. Giberson said the students gain a bigger appreciation for fresh produce after growing it themselves.
"It allows students to see that they can have an impact on their community and they are capable of helping provide food for the school and for other students at the same time," Giberson said.
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