The Alt school is really excited to improve upon our sustainable agriculture project this year. Our goal is to be able to grow plants outside in the greenhouse all winter long, and to be able to get our hydroponics system up and running. We have started plants already and they just sprouted, but we have to seal up our greenhouse for the winter. We also have some renovation to do on the greenhouse. The plywood on the outside of the greenhouse is rotted, and there are a couple of holes in the roof, and gaps that need to be filled. We are choosing to use pressure treated plywood so that it doesn’t rot as easily. We are also going to use large bubble wrap in order to keep the heat in. Research has shown that bubble wrap can be a good insulator and we are going to try it. We got a new hydroponics light. We are still investigating a way to heat the greenhouse; solar panels are an option but might be too expensive.
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We have bulbs that are going to be coming up soon when the weather gets warmer. Stay tuned for more pictures and more info!!!
I was recently looking over some photos from the fall, and it made me think about the wonderful project the Altschool is working on and will continue in the spring: an amazing green space to grow many different varieties of plants. We spent about a month on the project and it is coming along very well. The former Altschool students made the greenhouse last year. It came out great and is still holding up! We have seeds growing in the greenhouse now and we check up on them regularly. There is a rose bush on each side. Next to the greenhouse are different types of shrubs, apple trees, and flowering plants. We also planted tulips on each side of the path near the outdoor staircase. It is going to be so beautiful when all the plants and the trees grow fully. I can’t wait to see the outcome! The Altschool also has an aquaponics system, which students made and put together last year. Plants get water and nutrition from tubes connected to tanks beneath that contain fish and other plant matter. Right now we have peppers and tomatoes growing. We are in the process of moving the aquaponics system from the high school to the Altschool now that we have more electricity. We’re also working on renovations to the greenhouse to improve the inside. I can’t wait to share all the spectacular progress we have made. The Candor Altschool took a trip last week to Cornell for a tour of the Botanical Gardens and the Orchards. We went on this field trip because we are creating a green space of our own and wanted some tips on how to improve the project. We learned quite a lot and will definitely make some improvements. We met with Michelle Bidwell, from the Cornell cooperative extension, who had previously come to the Altschool to take a look at our greenhouse and give us a few tips. She gave us a tour of the Cornell Botanic Gardens Greenhouse where they bring in plants for the winter and also do research. The greenhouse has many different rooms with a variety of plants. Plants are placed on trays and tables which move so you can water them easily. The greenhouse staff take clones or clippings of certain plants to research them and then plant them in other locations. There is one part of the Cornell greenhouse where the plants get watered by a overhead water system very frequently. I thought it was super cool! We saw lemon geraniums that smelled like lemon pez and fruit loops.
After visiting the greenhouses we went to the Cornell Orchards. A researcher named Erik met us when we first got there to give us a tour. We saw many apple trees; he even let us each take an apple off a tree to eat. Next, he brought us inside and showed us exactly how they press cider. The last place he took us to was the lab, where a researcher was doing experiments on fermentation. Before we left, we all took a few minutes to look around. After our amazing experience at Cornell, we went to lunch in college town at Wings Over Ithaca. The food was extraordinary! We had lots of smiles and laughs on the way back and a safe ride thanks to our bus driver Boyd. Many pictures were taken throughout the day. Please take a look below! What do you think about how the new Altschool turned out? It's great. Shea did really good. Needs a more homey feeling(ha ha) What is different about this new Altschool and the old Altschool? The other Altschool had upstairs and downstairs and this one just has an upstairs. Way better than the other one. More furniture. What do you miss now that you are graduated? Being around everyone. Being in the adult life(crazy). What advice do you have for the newcomers? Good luck! He knows that the kids who come are looking for a totally different environment. What do you miss the most? Operation tangos and poker. What are you doing now and where do you see yourself in 10 years? Right now I'm working. In 10 years I hope to have a degree in college. Winging it, kinda. Greetings, my name is MyKayla Carlson, and I will be the editor for this year's Candor Altschool newsletter. Last year Makenna Raspantini was the editor, and I hope I can live up to her vision, doing just as well as she did. This year we have nine students so far, and it’s a great group. We all get along very well; we care and have each others’ back.
I never saw the old Altschool but I bet it was amazing and many memories were made there. I’m sure this year will be amazing and many more memories will be made. This year will be full of great adventures and fun times. The greenhouse the former students made will be brought over to the new Altschool. We will be taking a trip to Lowes to get plants for our greenhouse and new green space. Then we will be going out for lunch at the Chinese Buffet. After we get back we will start the planting process. Shea Bensley and Jonathan Wolfe are amazing teachers at the Altschool. I learn very well with them and they teach with care. I would also like to thank Mr. Wright and Ms. Lux for coming over to teach Math and Science. I’m excited to start this school year and make many memories with the people I am with. |
AuthorStudents and teachers at Candor Alt School EditorMyKayla Carlson Archives
November 2019
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