You Can Grow Oranges in Council
If you have been dreaming of sunshine and citrus this winter, you are not alone! For the past three years, Council High School students have been growing citrus trees in their greenhouse, and finally, in the midst of our Idaho winter, they are being rewarded with the fruits (literally) of their labor!
Council High School educator, Trista Robbins, teaches agricultural and life sciences, horticulture and floral design, speech and personal skills, and is the FFA advisor. She handles all things at the large greenhouse at the high school. Three years ago, she purchased a Dwarf Meyer Lemon, a Blood Orange, and a Lime tree to keep in the greenhouse. “My goal with these was to teach mountain kids citrus,” she said, “they’re pretty good with conifers.” According to Robbins, the greenhouse is heated year round through a biomass system, which makes growing these sorts of plants possible. This year, for the first time, all three of the more tropical trees are bearing fruit!
Both the Horticulture students and the 7th/8th grade Exploratory Science students are working in the greenhouse this year. One of the main focuses of the Horticulture class is natives, and they are trying to propagate and grow more natives for the Forest Service to use in reforestation after fires. However, Robbins also wants to teach students where their food is coming from. “I think when they’re not being raised or not being shown what it takes to do full fledged agriculture, they think our food is indispensable,” said Robbins, who sees a lot of food waste. “When they get involved in that, they value food a little bit more.” Having the students be involved in the multi-year long process of growing the citrus, for example, has been a great lesson in what it takes to produce these foods.
Robbins also said that in her experience many of the students in Council don’t travel very much, and have never been to places where tropical plants can grow. “We have this greenhouse,” she said, “Well, let’s fill it with plants these kids don’t have to go anywhere to see, but they can still see.”
Next, Robbins is planning a field trip to various nurseries in the Treasure Valley for the Horticulture students. All of the students will also be starting plants for the annual spring plant sale at the greenhouse shortly. They have already started the native plants.
