Three Palmer Ridge sophomores are turning a greenhouse project into a lesson in leadership and service. Sophomores Katie Doyle, Addie Seymour, and Annelyse White are the creators behind a project which utilizes an aquaponic greenhouse to grow fresh produce as part of their FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) project.
More than 20 members of the Palmer Ridge Chapter of FBLA will represent the school and D38 at the State competition in April, including this trio that will present the Chapter’s first-ever community service project.
According to Addie Seymour, who actually started this project on her own before joining FBLA, this isn’t your ordinary greenhouse.
“The aquaponic greenhouse is unique, because there’s a fish tank connected to it and it’s like an ecosystem,” Addie said.
Two large fish tanks are used to house more than 50 tilapia. The waste produced by the fish is then transported to the water where the produce grows. The plant roots absorb the nutrients from the fish waste, filter the water, and then the water goes back to the fish tank, and the cycle continues.
The entire process begins with seeds germinating in soil pods beneath lights in Addie’s basement. After the germinating phase, the sprouts are then moved to the greenhouse. After about a six-week cycle, other members of FBLA join Katie, Addie, and Annelyse for a harvest and plant day.
The lettuce heads are then cut, cleaned, and bagged before they are donated to a local nonprofit, Tri-Lakes Cares.
The trio said they did a lot of experimenting with various produce in the earlier stages of the project, but found they were able to grow lettuce the most consistently, and it also attracted fewer insects. The greenhouse allows for year-round production, and with the help of the FBLA chapter, they have been able to greatly expand the project.
“Our yields have become much larger and we’ve really been able to make a bigger difference,” Annelyse said.
The project has also recently benefited from a grant from the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club, which has allowed the trio to buy more equipment, which increased their production even more.
Thus far, the project has produced more than 300 heads, or 100-plus pounds, of lettuce that has been donated to Tri-Lakes Cares.
At the state competition, Katie, Addie, and Annelyse will present their aquaponic greenhouse project in the Community Service competition. The competition includes a pre-written report and two rounds of presentations before a winner is named.
Based on the uniqueness and real-world implications of what the project is doing, the students feel like they have a real chance of standing out at the State competition.
“I think our project is so impactful, because it’s really hard for food pantries to receive fresh produce. They mostly get canned foods, but we’re able to actually provide fresh produce to people,” Addie said.
“It’s fresh, organic, and locally grown,” Katie added.
The group said this project is truly a community service, but also a community effort. They can’t wait to share it at the State competition in Denver.
“Now that we’ve expanded the project to where it is, we want to really show people what we’re doing for the community. I feel like the work we’ve done is really cool,” Katie said.
The students have an Instagram account for the project, which you can find at mightymeekmovement.
The Colorado State FBLA competition takes place April 2–4 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
Be sure to check D38 media channels in April for results from the State FBLA competition.
For more information, visit Palmer Ridge High School Future Business Leaders of America.