by Shelley Marsh for the Florida Times-Union
October 28, 2014
Since its founding more than a year ago, education has been a priority at GYO Greens, an aquaponic farm located on Canal Street in Palm Valley. A number of students from nearby Accotink Academy, Bolles School’s Ponte Vedra Beach campus and Ocean Palms Elementary have visited for field trips or after-school enrichment programs.
Now, the farm — which uses a sustainable farming method that combines traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks: in this case, fish) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment — is offering a Junior Master Gardener certification program for children ages 8-12.
Carolyn Houston, a science curriculum specialist at Bolles who has formal training in biology and a masters degree in education, developed GYO’s education program and will serve as the lead instructor for program. As an international youth gardening program developed by the University Cooperative Extension Network, the program is designed to engage children in “novel, hands-on group and individual learning experiences that provide a love of gardening, develop an appreciation for the environment, and cultivate the mind.”
Earning a certification is achieved by completing eight lessons from the JMG Plant Growth & Development curriculum. The GYO Greens program is registered with Texas A&M University, headquarters for JMG programs.
GYO Greens owner Helga Tan Fellows says they will follow the official curriculum with one slight difference.
“It’s eight modules that the kids have to complete, but in our case we’re asking them to complete nine modules, and module No. 9 is aquaponics,” said Fellows. “So we put a nice twist on the program just to make it a little more unique.”
Students will also be comparing aquaponic farming with traditional methods.
“The planters outside are part of the certification: they will have to do work outside and inside (the greenhouse),” said Fellows. “We will do comparison in between the two systems.”
The Junior Master Gardener program at GYO Greens is beginning this month, with two sessions offered each month on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Students can join at any point in the program and complete lessons in any order. A $10 donation is requested to cover materials. To register, contact Helga Tan Fellows at gyogreens@gmail.com.
“Now that the farm is a mature system, we’re ready to start our master gardener program, and we think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Fellows. “The kids are going to enjoy it. It’s very simple. Kids don’t need to be here every month. You work at your own pace, complete 9 modules, and then we provide the certificate.”
