The Sobrato Future Farmers of America Chapter ended the 2016-17 school year by growing and harvesting beets, heads of lettuce, peas and red lettuce for the United Methodist Church in downtown Morgan Hill.
This project began in Sobrato FFA’s Horticulture class to allow students to grow their own food. Agriculture teacher Travis Wyrick commented, “Most (students) had never started with a clear blank piece of ground and grown food.”
The project taught students about agriculture. “They learned about weed and pest control (and) how organic crop production requires extra effort,” Wyrick explained. “They had firsthand experience with soil health, necessary nutrition, how the weather can impact your crops, and how important it is to monitor your crops.”
The vegetables were grown on site at Sobrato’s school farm. The side of the farm dedicated to horticulture includes 15 garden boxes, a large greenhouse and shade structure.
This year, along with vegetable crops, students grafted apple trees, started peppers and tomatoes from seeds, and built a compost bin with the UC Extension Office.
