Gardening

It is a specific challenge to access fresh fruits and vegetables in a rural Wyoming town such as Pinedale. Extreme temperature variation, unexpected storms, and a short growing season all combine to make growing specialty crops a difficult task. The protection from the elements that a Hoop House and Growing Dome offers, allows an opportunity to start crops sooner, continue them longer, and successfully yield specialty crops.

The students at Children’s Discovery Center learn through nature with a very hands-on approach. A hoop house gives opportunities for the students to actively engage in all stages involved with gardening in a sub-alpine climate. While gaining a first-hand understanding of local food production through sharing the wealth of crop at the local Farmer’s Market. From construction of the structures (Hoop House and Growing Dome), prepping the soil, choosing seeds, planting, watering, and tending, the students are hands-on; the full circle completed with them prepping and eating the crops during meals and cooking class.    

The students at the CDC are lucky enough to have such structures (Growing Dome built in 2013 and Hoop House built in 2017) that do allow us to grow in this Rocky Mountain climate. This program helps establish healthy behaviors that have a lifelong impact on the child's quality of life.