COLLEGE FOCUS From silo to hoop house continued from page 9
The sustainable agriculture program’s practical approach is evident in course names, which include Annual Fruit and Vegetable Production and Season Extension Methods. One technology that will be used in the latter course is a new hoop house being constructed this summer on the Grayslake campus. A greenhouse-style structure, a hoop house consists of metal frames, or hoops, that support transparent plastic. Sunlight warms the inside air and soil to a temperature conducive to planting. “The main advantage is being able to start your crops earlier and continue to harvest them late into the winter,” Fazioli said. The hoop house is the latest in the college’s efforts to provide more locally grown food in both Lancer’s and the student-managed Prairie restaurant. Beginning last summer, both restaurants began serving limited quantities of campus-grown lettuce and tomatoes, earning a thumbs-up from customers, according to chef Rob Wygant, co-chair of the hospitality and culinary arts department. The eventual goal is to have the CLC farm supply 20 percent of the restaurant’s produce, Fazioli said. For their part, students in the sustainable agriculture program say they are reaping a bounty of benefits. “We’re not just reading a book, we’re going out and we’re doing it,” said Eddie Popelka (’09) a CLC maintenance engineer who is now working on a sustainable agriculture degree. In a few years, he plans to open a sustainable farm to supplement his passion for beekeeping. The best part of locally grown food, according to Popelka, is its unbeatable taste and the knowledge of where it came from. “I’m going to start making more educated decisions on the food I buy; who I buy it from and where I buy it. Just being a part of growing a garden that’s going to provide food for our college and our community, really makes me feel more of a part of our community,” he said. Find out more at www.clcillinois.edu/programs/hrt. 10 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY
Horticulture students and staff install drip irrigation hoses for spring planting, with CLC’s original farm silo in the background.