WILLMAR -- Astonished by the amount of oil they learned is used in transporting food, a group of students in the Willmar Public Schools have come up with a plan for action.
They would like to reduce the community's carbon footprint and improve the local diet at the same time by developing community greenhouses.
Developing a model for a community greenhouse on the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar has become the Youth Energy Summit project for the Willmar team of students, according to Robert Palmer, high school science teacher, and Karen Hilding, energy coordinator for the schools.
They are serving as coaches to the nearly 20 students who have shown interest in the venture.
Steve Salzer, MinnWest, offered the coaches and students a tour of a greenhouse on the former Willmar Regional Treatment Center campus that will become the model for their project. Originally built in 1927, the greenhouse offers 1,512 square feet of area.
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"You could pack a lot of produce in here if you do this properly,'' said Chuck Waibel of Milan, who joined the group Wednesday during their tour. He and his wife, Carol Ford, have turned a greenhouse into a profitable, community-supported agricultural venture. They produce weekly boxes of fresh greens for subscribers through the winter.
They use a low-tech, but highly energy efficient system to heat their Milan greenhouse during cold, winter nights. Heat from the sun is transferred to rock pebbles buried under the greenhouse and to water barrels in it. The heat is released at night.
Waibel said last winter's fuel bill for propane to back up the system was about $50.
The Willmar students also want to reduce the reliance on fossil fuel. They are looking at the possibility of using solar panels to heat water and replace the steam that once was used to warm the MinnWest greenhouse.
The students are also working with the Kandiyohi County Food System Committee. Fresh vegetables raised in the greenhouse could be donated to the Food Shelf. Or, the fresh vegetables could someday be offered in the high school cafeteria, or even in the MinnWest cafeteria.
Palmer said the goal of the project is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. But he pointed out that the Youth Energy Summit competition is offering the students an opportunity to explore their interests in everything from energy to horticulture.
It's also providing the students with a challenge they are clearly excited to accept. "It's a go,'' said Palmer and the students as they completed their tour of the greenhouse.
