MOUNT SAVAGE — Students at Mount Savage School will continue to be enriched by its unique agriculture program, thanks to the construction of a new high tunnel greenhouse that will allow crops to grow in three separate seasons.
The structure, which is 26-by 52-feet, encloses a tilled field that can grow various crops not just in the summer, but in the fall and spring while students are still in school.
“We want to thank our maintenance department,” said Laura Holland, Mount Savage School principal. “Without them, building the high tunnel wouldn’t have been possible.”
According to Holland, the project was envisioned by Matt Kline, the school agriculture program coordinator and seventh-grade science teacher.
From there, Dane Van Slyke, a former student at Mount Savage, coordinated efforts to help build the greenhouse for his Eagle Scout project. He is a member of Frostburg’s Troop 24.
Van Slyke said that the project took around two months, and 300 hours, not including the maintenance work.
Van Slyke is grateful for the help of Barry Holland, the husband of Laura Holland, who built a similar greenhouse on his property that the Mount Savage structure was modeled after.
“He showed us the ropes,” Van Slyke said.
Van Slyke was also assisted by his grandfather, Jim Eberly.
Kline spent a lot of time over the summer continuing to maintain the building. He said the ag program’s popularity is continuing to rise in its third year of operation.
“This enables us to be able to grow crops and flowers, from the beginning of March all the way to November,” Kline said. “This is a huge addition to the program.”
In addition to the new high tunnel greenhouse, Kline’s enrichment program allows his students to take care of chickens, beehives and another garden near the school.
“It’s good for kids to understand where food comes from,” Kline said.
Mount Savage’s ag program helps students understand the work that goes into getting food onto store shelves, and how to start and finish projects.
This year, Kline hopes to incorporate the financial aspect of agriculture into the program.
“We’re going to grow crops and try to make enough money to keep the program sustainable,” Kline said.
While the gardens at Mount Savage are free for the community to take from, many leave donations. The students also sell eggs and honey to help sustain the program.
Proceeds from the sale of produce and related products helped to fund the materials for the new greenhouse.
More funding for the high tunnel came from an anonymous donor and from a memorial fund from the Stahlman family.
Eric Van Slyke, supervisor of science for Allegany County Public Schools, praised the steps that Kline has taken to enhance the science program at one of their schools.
“I do think it develops them (students) for the future,” Van Slyke said. “Just the dedication and the hard work that they learn is part of it.”