The fruits of their labour

April 9, 2009

By Colleen MacPherson

Outside the College of Agriculture and Bioresources greenhouses on Perimeter Road, snow still blankets the ground but inside, vegetable growing season is in full swing—cherry tomatoes hang like bunches of grapes from plants so tall they must be tied horizontally, cucumbers and eggplants ripen on the vine and bell peppers slowly change colour as they mature.

But the 1,200 sq. feet of vegetables and herbs along with newly-propagated house plants are not part of a formal research program but rather are the fruits of the labour of students who share an interest in horticulture, particularly in producing their own food. Karen Tanino, associate professor of plant sciences and faculty advisor to the U of S Horticulture Club, sees membership in the student organization as a way for many young people “to enhance their love of plants but it also opens their minds to the scale of horticulture. They discover that you can grow your own food, that it’s not that hard, it’s tasty and you can save money.”

Established in 1991, the Hort Club offers a variety of opportunities for students in a range of horticultural areas. Those interested in greenhouse growing can work with special cultivars, monitor their growth, learn about greenhouse management and reap the harvest, explained Tanino. Other students, however, prefer to grow outdoors.

One of the big draws for the club, which has seen a marked increase in membership recently, to more than 80, was the club branching out into a field operation. Last year, led by plant science graduate student Hanny Elsadr, the students used about 1.5 acres of land provided by the Department of Plant Sciences just off 14th Street to grow carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and other vegetables, along with herbs, not only for their own consumption but to sell to Food Services and the Child Hunger and Education Program (CHEP).

This year, the plot will be smaller, said Tanino, but 37 members have signed onto the field project. And they already plan to use some of this summer’s harvest to provide vegetables to students in need through the U of S Students’ Union Food Centre.

Not all members are interested in actual production so the club has organized other options. One is cider and wine making. Tanino said Cedric Gillott, professor emeritus of biology and an award-winning cider maker, is teaching students how to produce cider and wine from produce like grapes, cherries and apples harvested from the university’s horticulture plots.

Another area of interest for members is using what they grow to make products like salsa. Still other members are using greenhouse space to propagate house plants. These are sold at two annual plant sales, which, along with pumpkin and poinsettia sales, help finance the club’s activities, like road trips and events with guest speakers.

“The key,” said Tanino, “is to provide a number of different activities to attract a wide variety of students,” and added that most club members are from outside agriculture-related programs.

“We’re very good at teaching theory at the university,” she said, “but students are always looking for more hands-on experience. The Hort Club is an opportunity for them to go from seed to harvest, and you can really see the students grow not only in their knowledge of production but also in their knowledge of management and of marketing.”