Our Willow students voted on what they would like to grow in the classroom hydroponic garden. They started the year by growing basil for pesto. Next they planted a salsa kit which included heirloom cherry tomatoes and jalapenos peppers. The students spent three-four months noticing how the tomato plants grew more quickly than the peppers. Students were responsible for watering and adding nutrients to the garden. They were excited to see each flower turn into a tomato or pepper. After testing the ripeness of the tomatoes, students made salsa.
Given the choice to start new plants, students chose to try more tomatoes so they can put together tomatoes, basil and mozzarella for Italian crostini.