Hi everyone! My name is Cole Connolly and I’m the project team leader for the Student Farm Club hydroponics greenhouse. Our team is a unique combination of practical farming and experimenting with new hydroponic methods. The majority of our greenhouse is dedicated to the production of lettuce, spring mix and basil, which we sell to Campus Dining. Although our volume is low, there is a chance you have had a hydroponic salad or pesto dish when eating on campus! This focus allows students to be engaged in a model production greenhouse in the real world. Understanding the food production process puts things in perspective on the work required to get a simple veggie meal on our plates. Between food safety, writing invoices, budgeting, and overall greenhouse management, the members of this team gain valuable experience for future endeavors in agriculture!
Producing crops to sell is what keeps the lights and heat on, but our team enjoys using the greenhouse space to experiment with new plants or hydroponics ideas. Many incoming students have never heard of hydroponics, let alone been in a greenhouse. With the resources available in the Student Farm Club, we can have fun while learning about new plants or ways to grow them without soil. This year, we are trying to grow snapdragons for cut flowers, and cantaloupe! Having a risk-free environment to work with plants is always enjoyable, especially during the winter months when nothing grows outside.
This year I have been very invested in keeping students engaged through research and scientific analysis of hydroponics. While growing plants isn’t an exact science, I am passionate about digging deeper into the biology of what can lead to the most efficient method of growing. We use tools like EC/pH meters and calculate fertilizer quantities to better understand the environment we provide for the plants. In combination with my study of plant pathology, I am trying to setup a small research project involving Pythium in spinach production. Pythium is notorious for being the enemy of hydroponic growers, as it causes root rot and the destruction of the plants. By isolating spinach crops in an inoculated Pythium environment, we can better understand how to treat an infection, and prevent future infections in the greenhouse. While simple in concept, constructing projects like this help students new to the world of research at PSU learn about the experimental design process!
Overall, our project team is the buffet of plant science. With the many aspects of operating a greenhouse, there is always something for everyone to be excited about!
