Pathways Produce

Vital Stats

Montville, NJ

  • People Doing It25

The Problem

The Eagle project I will complete is to construct a greenhouse for Pathways for Exceptional Children. I will set them up with hydroponic gardening, where they can grow different vegetables and herbs; whether the produce is used to create income for the organization or given to the children at the appropriate time of harvest is up to the organization. This will benefit not only the special needs children, but their typically-abled mentors as well. It will teach them responsibility for caring for living things, will help define motor skills, it will boost their self esteem and give the children a sense of satisfaction on a job well done. This could be a way of socializing with other children to work together on a project, and it can be fun for them, not to mention educational. Hydroponic gardening uses rain gutters or pipes to suspend plants in. Water is pumped from a source bucket containing a pond pump through the gutters, and then the water returns to the bucket to complete the cycle. This is a nice way of gardening because it requires no soil, and the water and electric needed is minimal. It is very environmentally friendly, and easy to maintain..

Plan of Action

The first step I considered was to locate a spot in town where a greenhouse can be constructed. This location is going to have to have access to electric and water, and be in a spot of level ground. It will also need to be in a spot where vandalism is minimal. The township engineer is willing to make sure that water and electric are available for us to use at the site I chose. I am highly confident the town will give me a plot of land for this project, and I have chosen the location directly behind the Township Municipal Building on Changebridge Road. The next step is to purchase a greenhouse. While searching the web I found a greenhouse that is 10'x12' for $800 plus shipping. I believe the size and type of greenhouse will satisfy Pathways' needs and be an attractive addition to our township. The third step is to gather the materials for the hydroponic gardening and build the system. Materials needed could come from hardware stores, such as Home Depot or Lowe's. The materials for the gardening systems are: PVC piping (to hold the plants), a wire-mesh/corrugated material to put in the bottom of the PVC (to keep the plants from clogging the water flow), plastic tubs (to hold the water), pond pumps with tubing (to pump the water through the system), wood/2x4's (to hold the system up), nutrient solution (to put in the water), growing medium with pans (to start seedlings), seeds (to grow). As for water, there does not need to be a spigot in the greenhouse, but there does need to be some place nearby that we could either run a hose from, or walk over to to fetch a pail of water when needed. The greenhouse I like the best has a door opening of 4.87 feet, which should be wide enough for a wheelchair to gain access. I have spoken with my woodshop teacher at MTHS to see if I can lead the class during a few periods to construct the frames for the garden systems. He told me that if I can bring in the wood, he will allow me to lead the class once a week to construct the frames for the gardens.
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