Sierra House to be growing veggies this fall
Excavation work begins at Sierra House Elementary where two growing domes will be erected. Photo/Rebecca Bryson
By Kathryn Reed
Grading began this weekend at Sierra House Elementary School on what will be two growing domes by the end of November.
A cadre of parents determined to make this a reality has never wavered in their desire to bring this to fruition. With the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency signing off on the necessary permits, all that is left is final approval from the state architect’s office. Steve Morales, facilities manager for Lake Tahoe Unified School District, said this could come any day.
Holes for the two 18-foot diameter domes will be dug this week, with the foundation then going in. The foundation will be built higher than what is normal for a structure because inside will be dirt. This will allow for some insulation.
Between the domes will be a 25-foot by 25-foot outdoor learning area.
The domes are likely to go up in mid-November.
“Erection of the two domes will take place in probably less than eight days. They are a kit. The dome company sends erection crews out with supervisors,” Morales told Lake Tahoe News.
Then it will be up to the parents to outfit the interiors how they want.
Rebecca Bryson, a parent who has been instrumental is making the dome a reality, said parents will likely spend Thanksgiving week getting the interior of the domes situated how they like. Volunteers will do the teaching, including master gardeners.
To start with Bryson expects lettuce, kale and other winter crops to be grown.
The parents have raised nearly $118,000 for the project. The district has incurred expenses mostly just in terms of personnel.
Ravinder Saini gives pomegranate seeds to her daughter, Arya. Photo/Provided
Soroptimist International South Lake Tahoe was the single biggest donor at $25,000. The remainder of that cash will be given to the parents group on Wednesday at the service club’s weekly meeting.
The dome in Truckee requires about a $500 operation and maintenance fund each year. The South Shore parents are using that figure as a barometer for what it will need to put aside for O&M costs; with the realization annual fundraisers may be necessary to keep the domes operational.
Nutrition, healthy eating and teaching students where food comes from before it reaches the grocery store are all components of the growing dome. It’s also a chance for kids to play in the dirt, see veggies grow from seed into something edible, and to learn about other aspects of gardening. They will also get to eat what they grow.
“We will be able to supplement school lunches,” Bryson told Lake Tahoe News. “McDuff’s was one of the early sponsors. They would like to make pizzas with kids using ingredients from the dome.”
Some lessons are already being taught. This fall students throughout the district were introduced to pomegranates through a joint project with Barton Health, UC Cooperative Extension and Raley’s.
Bryson said it’s possible art students from Lake Tahoe Community College will create a Let it Grow mural at the elementary site by the domes.
Congratulations to Rebecca and all whose perseverance
Made this happen!
This will be a tremendous new advantage for Sierra House
School and the whole community.
Carolyn Meiers
Sierra House school to grow veggies! This is great! Yes, we need to teach the young ones how to grow their own food. It’s educational,it’s honest good work in the dirt and at harvest, it tastes good too!
Just had some Swiss Chard from the yard last night.
Good luck on your grow domes Sierra House and I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ the domes and what you’re growing! OLS
Wow! “Only” $120,000 for a vegetable garden. We have planted vegetables every year (for over 35 years) and spend about $20. I spent about $300 to build a hothouse 5 years ago. No one came out and installed them for us and we have never used heavy equipment to prepare the dirt. No wonder the schools have money problems.
From what I perceive here, what the kids are going to learn is to depend on government and handouts to do anything, and that efficiency and hard work is completely unnecessary. You just hire consultants…
Grow domes are a great (yet very expensive) idea yet necessary if want to grow things during the winter. The “farming” curriculum should also include methods how one could replicate it at home. I and many others (OLS for one) have been growing vegetables up here for years. Our growing season is from early May through September. Raised beds, hoop houses made from PVC and clear plastic situated in a sunny corner of the lot guarantee success by extending the season by almost a month and a half making tomatoes a reality. Winter and cole crops as mentioned really do not need anything special, they grow just fine out in the open and will survive a light frost. Put some asparagus in the ground and you will have a crop that comes back every year without any maintenance and as a bonus it becomes a beautiful fern when it is not in season.
This is so exciting to see happen! It’s been years in the making with top-notch project management from Rebecca Bryson and Michelle McLean. Sierra House parents are so grateful to all our generous donors but really want to honor Soroptimists International of South Lake Tahoe as they were the visionaries from the beginning back when we thought the project would cost $25K. Also, the Truckee Growing Dome Manager actually told us that their annual maintenance budget was closer to $50. The $500 figure is conservative. Can’t wait to see our kids get dirty in the Growing Domes and grow their own food!
for Dumbfounded: As the article noted, the District spent no money on this. However, they did spend hours of time. That (almost) $119K figure is all fundraised. Check out the website for a list of our donors and more info about the Program: http://www.classy.org/events/let-it-grow/e32664 The geodesic domes are designed to make growing veggies available to those of us who live in alpine environs. They are not outdoor beds that are only ready to work in during the summer (when school is out of session.) Because the Growing Domes are being built on a school site, we had to pay a structural engineering company to double-check every angle, nut and bolt, and to work with DSA to permit the structures for our children. If you bought your own personal Growing Dome for your private property, it would cost much less and there would be no need for DSA-approval or engineering at all. The Growing Domes come in a kit and can be put up in a few days with a few friends. Creating this program at a school site is the reason it took years of work to make this happen. Take a tour of the Domes once they are up and running and see for yourself, or you can take a virtual tour here or winter in the Growing Domes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_ynYOAT-U
Dumfounded always has a “type before really reading” problem with just about anything.
Why waste your time making yourself look stupid?
I’m so sorry that my opinion doesn’t agree with yours. I didn’t say that the money came from the District. I suggested that the project cost was higher than my personal spending on a similar but less grand project. Further, I suggested that the free-handed spending is why the District, and government programs in general, have money problems. The inference that one could make would be that the District spends freely and that they could use money, whether donated or from tax revenue, more efficiently. Is that incorrect? Do you actually believe that there is no room for improvement in efficiency available in government spending?
I agree with your assessment that the domes can be assembled with a few friends, but that is not what happened here.
I do not call anyone names like a child, I stick to reasoned opinion. If you cannot understand the reasoning, I will do my best to explain it to you, but I would never call anyone “stupid” without actually knowing them. And, Cranky, since you claim that I “always” have problems, perhaps you could describe my previous failures in a rational fashion so that I may respond to them.
Vegetable gardening in Tahoe? A challenge? Oh yeah! Yes it is, but it can be done! I know this and as someone noted, the price does seem a bit high for the grow domes at Sierra House, but lets just hope it’s a sucsessful project and it all turns out well!
Start planning now for next springs planting in your garden or planter boxes everybody! Happy in the garden, OLS
BTW, I think that the project has great potential. I know several of the supporters personally and encourage their participation in the success of students. I raised two children who attended the schools in South Lake Tahoe from kindergarten through LTCC. I have extensive direct experience with the District and their spending habits.
As regards the “types before reading” and “stupid” comment. I have academic, social, familial and professional success that would disagree with your assessment, Cranky. My opinions of others is not based on whether I agree with their opinion or not.
Dunmfounded is just annother finger pointer. ***** and complain then comes back with the *** by ya touchy feely thing, buddies with the builders and all…
this project has been great for the kids, teachers, administrators, families, everyone involved will benefit because it came about through grass roots ideas and efforts. It had no politics, no greedy hands out, noone is making money off this, its a genuine community, for the kids effort. And because of this it will succeed.
GOOD JOB SIERRA HOUSE!
Congratulations to Rebecca, Michelle, the Sierra House PTA, Soroptimists, Small World and everyone who had the vision and persistence to bring this fantastic project to fruition!
Yes, Dumbfounded, the project cost a lot with all the school safety and other requirements. But despite that the all volunteer team — no paid consultants — stuck with it and raised money from private (foundation, Soroptimists, individual) contributions, no tax money spent. It’s all good and positive. The kids at Sierra House can look forward to bringing so many things to life — from kale to math and science — in the growing dome. Every school should have one.
Again, kudos to everyone involved. And thanks to Kae for covering this story.