News & Events

The beginnings of a fruit orchard have been planted out at the greenhouse site. The Fruit Tree Project is being coordinated by Friends of The Urban Forest with tree donations from the Shade Tree Council, Terry Ozawa (member of the Shade tree Council) and the Lions Club of Carson City. The greenhouse is lush with growth and Ray has every square inch accounted for. Camille Jones, the new Americorp assistant greenhouse manager continues to nurture the flowers for the CSA cut flower program and the 2013 Beauty in a Basket Flower Basket Campaign is concluded with all 62 baskets sponsored. A list of this years sponsors who keep this project blooming will be posted. Planning is underway for the 2013 Benefit Concert Under the Stars this year featuring the bands WAR and Notch 8. NV Energy and Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center have again graciously stepped up to sponsor the event. Tickets will go on sale starting April 22 (Earth Day)!
June 1 from 8 AM to 1 PM TGP will host its annual plant sale with flower baskets, potted petunias, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and more available for sale. As always this would be impossible without all our volunteers!

Congratulations go to Carson High School’s FFA and Michele Lewis and Brigid Surber whose collaboration resulted in a $2500 Food for All Grant. This will buy the much needed big tire wagons that the students need for working at TGP site. Student participation has totaled 2,599 hours in 2012. JoAnne Skelly of Cooperative Extension and also a Board member for TGP recently prepared a
recap of some of last years accomplishments at TGP…….Six to eight special needs youth participated daily through the school year getting horticulture job training. As Americorp volunteers, three high school students managed the greenhouse for the summer earning stipends and learning work skills. Another student was hired for the summer at Greenhouse Garden Center Nursery after working in the greenhouse at the high school the previous semester. Two students are doing their senior projects in the greenhouse–one researching hydroponics and the other the viability of winter crop production in a hoop house.

From January2012 to January 2013, students grew and donated 1,574 pounds of produce to FISH and the Ron Wood Family Resource Center to feed Carson City’s less fortunate. Students grew 53 pounds of produce for the high school’s award-winning culinary arts program. Recently the salad bar run by the culinary arts students was stocked primarily with greens from TGP.

One teacher reports, “We wouldn’t have an agriculture or horticulture program at CHS without TGP. The students get work experience. TGP is an incredible win for the special needs students.” Another teacher says,”The kids had a great sense of accomplishment when they were able to deliver produce they had grown from seed to harvest to the culinary arts program at the high school.”

Ray Saliga, TGP manager, has developed a growing schedule for 2013 that will bring production to over 4,000 pounds of produce not to mention nurturing Carson City’s 61 hanging flower baskets. Watch TGP continue to grow in 2013!!!!

I have a passion for growing plants. When I get to share that passion with youth, and when they too get excited about growing things, it makes my work very rewarding. I’ve been a team member on the Green-house Project (TGO) in Carson City since 2008. TGP is a nonprofit corporation founded by volunteers. It is located at Carson High School and includes a 2,160 square foot commercial greenhouse, a 33-foot hoop house  and 65 raised planter beds for cut flowers.

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The student and volunteer total hours for the year at TGP are in. Students logged 2,599 hours served and included FFA classes, Special Needs Classes, JROTC, Elementary Classes, Juvenile Probation weekend assist on site prep, Americorps, Mary’s Kids, Carson Montessori and Empire Ranch. Non-student volunteer hours totaled 1,041.50. Thank you to all who continue to help forward the purpose and the mission of The Greenhouse Project. This is a project at work.

The Greenhouse Project is working in a collaborative effort with the Boys and Girls Club and Food for Thought
on some short term needs and long term goals in an effort to work on sustainability for all three entities. It is wonderful to work with individuals from all these non profits with such drive and passion. This is a community with a beating heart that recognizes that childhood hunger must be and will be dealt with!

The Greenhouse Action Group continues to grow and amaze…..working forward on getting a refrigerated truck for the Cut Flower CSA and continuing research on a Food Hub concept interfacing with some of the non-profits of our community. The Celebrity Chef Harvest Dinner netted TGP over $14,000. Ray Saliga has the growing schedule mapped for the 2013 year and is looking forward to conducting quarterly workshops for the public. The project will also be launching a dwarf fruit tree sponsorship opportunity. 30 trees needed at $100/sponsorship. TGP is on the move!

Just an update on the cut flower CSA……the cost will be $12/bunch for 16 weeks totaling $192 commencing in June with three available days for pickup. Details are outlined on the sponsorship forms available for download via a link on the face page of TGP website.

Check out Reno Tahoe Tonight’s coverage of the 2012 Annual Celebrity Chef Harvest Dinner. It’s on Nov 12th, at Adele’s, and benefits The Greenhouse Project.

Reno Tahoe Tonight – November 2012