Grant allows for school greenhouse to grow

Colby Turner has the money, now he just needs the workers.

Turner, the Farm-to-Table teacher at MacArthur Middle School, received a $17,500 grant from the Lawton Public School Foundation (LPSF) recently to refurbish the greenhouse at the school.

“This is awesome,” he said as LPSF Executive Director Lisa Carson presented him with the oversized check.

Turner said he hopes to have the greenhouse restored in time for students to plant their seedlings for spring planting. Students already have torn off some of the old boards, but he needs assistance putting strips down the side to hold the plastic roof in place. The funds also will be used to buy a new door and install gas and waterlines, in addition to purchasing potting tables, seeds, water hoses, a heater and perhaps a sprinkler system.

“Last year, we did our spring vegetables in class before moving them to the small greenhouse,” he said.

The refurbished greenhouse may also have some new temporary residents, as several baby chicks calling Turner’s classroom home will be moved to new living quarters.

A refurbished greenhouse is not the only project in the works for Turner’s Farm-to-Table class. A couple of pigs were delivered on Thursday to go along with his chickens and rabbits. He also plans to expand the school’s orchard and has ordered several fruit trees and some blueberry and blackberry bushes.

A previous grant, for $5,500, funded the purchase of gardening tools.

“It’s outstanding to have support like this,” Turner said of the grants. “Just having the recognition every now and then helps. I’m excited about what we are doing.”

Dee Ann Patterson/Lawton Public Schools

Colby Turner, third from left, receives a grant from the Lawton Public School Foundation on Tuesday. Turner, who teaches MacArthur Middle School’s Farm-to-Table class, plans to use the funds to refurbish the school’s greenhouse. From left are Doug Brown, assistant superintendent; Lisa Carson, executive director of Lawton Public School Foundation; Turner; and Adam McPhail, LPS director of workforce development.