Homegrown: Earth to Entree greenhouse at Penn Elementary

I thought this was pretty cool. Eugene Mohling, of ISU's Johnson County Extension Office, sent over the following about a joint project at Penn Elementary School in North Liberty. It's exciting to see so many schools with their own gardens. This project takes it a step beyond:

NORTH LIBERTY - 4-H club members and leaders of the Earth to Entrée 4-H Club celebrate the completion of a greenhouse for Penn Elementary School, North Liberty.

Through a 2010 grant from Cargill to the National 4-H Council, Johnson County 4-H staff and Cargill representatives, Blaine Blackburn, Regional General Manager, and Brenda Kochanny initiated plans for the 4-H club and the greenhouse.   Kochanny and Cargill employees Ryan Murdock and John Richards serve as 4-H club leaders who meet monthly with the youth and helped build the greenhouse.

The 4-H club secured resources to build the greenhouse, planned and planted a community garden plot, toured a local greenhouse, with the Penn parent/teacher organization led a can drive for financial resources for the greenhouse and led horticulture activities for younger children at The Iowa Children's Museum.  A Johnson County Extension Master Gardener provided leadership for the for the “horticulture” learning.

For more information about the Earth to Entrée 4-H Club or the Johnson County 4-H program, contact Johnson County Extension Office, 319-337-2145