Ana Yavorsky, a teacher at Days of Wonder School in Batavia, introduced students to the school’s new tower garden aeroponic, non-soil based growing system on Jan. 28, 2016.

Ana Yavorsky, a teacher at Days of Wonder School in Batavia, introduced students to the school’s new tower garden aeroponic, non-soil based growing system on Jan. 28, 2016.
By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Students at Days of Wonder school in Batavia are taking part in the growing cycle of fresh produce, from seed to salad.

Fourth, fifth and sixth graders at the school are learning to love their vegetables with the tower garden aeroponic, non-soil based growing system that was recently installed in the school.

The tower garden, which is manufactured by Juice Plus, can house 20 plants in a very small circular space. Operated through a timer, water is pumped from inside the base to the top of the tower, where it then runs downward internally to each seedling’s roots.

Kale, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and basil are just some of the produce being grown in the school’s tower garden.

“I want the kids to be aware of new ways of growing their own salads and herbs that will make their meals tasty,” said Ana Yavorsky, a Spanish teacher at the school who has spearheaded the project, in an email.

She added, “I want them to understand the power they have in their hands of growing not just a seed, but in knowledge.”

The project is part of the school’s learning theme for the year, which is Foods and Cooking: Adventure through the Americas.

Yavorsky hopes the tower garden will encourage the students to eat as many fruits and vegetables as they can. She also hopes it will show them that they can grow their own food at home.

“This is a learning experience; they will be able to taste the produce once it is ready,” she added.

Cynthia Day, founder, director and teacher at the school, said the tower garden is a really good visual.

“It’s one thing to say, ‘eat your fruits and vegetables,’ but I don’t know that all the students really grasp where food comes from,” Day said. “The tower allows them to witness the growing process right before their eyes.”

She added, “They can see the greens and touch them.”

The tower garden costs about $45 a month to lease; school officials are planning to purchase a tower garden for the school in the near future.

“The students are very excited about the tower garden,” Day said. “In fact, when we were making salads for lunch the other day, the students were more open to adding more vegetables to their bowls than they would have otherwise.”

She added, “There was something about the greens and hearing the importance that seemed to make them want to try new things.”