news & notes
Clinton Culinary Program Introduces Hydroponic Gardening
Juniors Aniya Madkin (left) and Elmer Durrell assemble a hydroponic gardening tower.
Senior Blair Hearn holds a seedling ready to be planted in a hydroponic gardening tower. 22
Summer 2022
This fall semester, students in Clinton High School’s culinary arts program have already begun implementing a new aspect into their education — hydroponic gardening towers. Chef Catherine Bruce, the program’s instructor, used money awarded to her program from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation’s School Garden Program to purchase four state-of-the-art hydroponic farmstands from Lettuce Grow as well as an assortment of seeds. “Each tower holds 36 plants which have been sent to us by Lettuce Grow to get us started, but in the future, we’ll be able to use our own seedlings from seeds purchased from Johnny’s Seeds, a nationally known seed company,” Bruce said. Culinary students will grow edible flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables and various types of lettuces. “We’ll use what we grow in our own hydroponic garden during instructional time as well as when we prepare food to serve our teachers and staff,” Bruce said. “But we’ll also be able to use what we grow in class at farmer’s markets throughout the year.” The money from the School Garden Program allows Bruce to expose her students to changing trends in the profession while also allowing them to exceed the state’s career and technical education standards, growing themselves academically and professionally. “Hydroponic gardening is one of our curriculum standards, so I wanted them to see what hydroponic gardening looks like,” Bruce said. “Also, it’s important for us to get an understand-
