Hutson School of Ag and Nutrition Department Homegrown Ingredients Collaboration

Project Abstract

We’re working with the Nutrition Department to provide herbs for their capstone class. Each spring, senior Nutrition students in the capstone class plan, prepare, and serve a restaurant-style meal for 40 people. For the first time this year, each student is required to use at least one ingredient that we grow. Students have selected basil, parsley, and other common herbs. I’ll deliver the herbs each week as per their requests, then they will prepare and serve them in the Oakley Dining Room.

In addition to the practical production aspect of this undertaking, I’m also looking at several growing methods. We’ve started herbs in a hydroponic system and three different potting medias. I hypothesize that the hydroponic herbs will be healthier plants, but that the soil-based herbs will be faster growing. The three planting medias we are using are Pro Mix (the universally accepted “normal” planting media), and two Kentucky-produced proprietary blends. The proprietary blends use a mix of local poultry litter, local wood fiber, and Asian carp emulsion. It’s a local, sustainably-produced media that benefits both the environment and the local economy, but will it work as well as Pro Mix? We don’t know, but we’d like to find out. As a future high school teacher, this knowledge will have practical application in any school greenhouse I find myself teaching in.

Funding Type

Research Grant

Academic College

Hutson School of Agriculture

Area/Major/Minor

Agricultural Education

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Ag, Teacher Certification

Classification

Freshmen

Name

Alyx Shultz

Academic College

Hutson School of Agriculture

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