b'gardening Growing food and friendshipsspinach, Bibb lettuce, gourmet lettuce, dill, and other herbs. Our favorites include kale and lettuce.We are lucky enough that we can not only eat the fresh plants weve just grown, but also can share our healthy food with the school community. One club member brings home crops from the garden every We had no interest in gardening untilWe quickly learned that our gardensThursday for her family pizza night. we saw the Tower Gardens at AMYdont require soil. They use water mixedShe uses lettuce for the salad and fresh Northwest. We didnt know what onewith nutrients. The way it works is thatbasil to season the pizza. She tells us her was or what we were getting ourselvesthe water is pumped up a tower andfamily loves the food.into. But knowing we had friends by ourthen moistens the plants as a mist. ThisWe are so glad we joined the Gardening side, we were ready to try somethingmethod is called aeroponic gardening. Club because we love being able to new. In the club, we all have different tasks.garden with our friends.While we may Amelia Loughlin, an AMY NorthwestWe plant new crops, add mineralsnot have green space at home, or the teacher, visited our science classesand water, check nutrient levels,time to do it outside of school, this club last year and invited students to helpand harvest the plants. The biggestallows us to have fun when and where take care of the schools ninegardens.challenges involve putting the towerswe can.We feel like a family. We talk, Shes had a garden in her classroom fortogether. We also sometimes strugglelaugh, and have fun while we do what several years. We thought it soundedto determine the amount of water andwe love: beautifying AMY and growing like something fun to do after school, sominerals to add to the plants withoutplants to feed our AMY community.we volunteered. It soon became a clubkilling them. We are currently growing By Jada Perry and Jayla Reese and now we have six members.tomatoes, celery, kale, rainbow chard,AMY Northwest Healthy BulldogIn aquaponics, fish feed plants that feed peopleThere are plants growing in three largeRaymond Fonash, who also teaches fish tanks at East Norriton Middleseventh-grade science, says aquaponic School, and theyre not just for show.plants can grow faster than regular Soon students may be able to eat someplants in a garden or on a farm. You can of these plants. They include herbs likeget more produce with less space, he basil, oregano, thyme and leafy greensays. Plus, you can raise fish along with vegetables like kale. the plants. The tanks are special gardening systemsThe process is really simple, Mr. called aquaponicsa process in whichFonash says. It can be done on a large plants are grown in water instead ofor small scale anywhere in your house.soil. For nutrients, the plants use fish waste as fertilizer, according to the U.S.If you want to start your own system Department of Agricultures website.at home (of course, with adultSo you could be a farmer too, right in Fish waste helps the plants grow andsupervision), you should do somethe comfort of your own home!the plants keep the water clean. research first. By Jess Alemeno and Navah Walley David Davis, a seventh-grade scienceIf you plan to focus on growing plants, East Norriton Bulldog Bulletinteacher, says that aquaponics benefitsyou can use fish like goldfish or tetras. If Earth by creating a source of food. Plus,you want to grow both plants and fish toPage 18 illustration by Jada Perry, 8th grade, he says, it uses less water than someeat, tilapia is a great hardy fish to AMY Northwest Healthy Bulldog other farming methods. use, according toPage 19 illustration by Jess Alameno, 7th Gogreenaquaponics.com grade, East Norriton Bulldog BulletinS p r i n g 2 0 2 3 | H E A L T H Y N E W S W O R K S . O R G19'