The story behind the Rising Sun Farm & Garden in Vernalis , CA , is one of rejuvenation and growth , with a lot of compassion sprinkled in along the agency . It ’s a life skills exploitation programme that ’s part of the Patterson Joint Unified School District that attracts students from Patterson , Newman Crows Landing School District and surrounding residential district for vernal adults with special pauperization , ages 18 - 22 .
by Ed Attanasaio
The program ’s centrepiece is built around its lovely lavender theater , garden and a 30 x 72 sq . ft . foot ATI Solar Light greenhouse from Agra Tech , Inc. , ( ATI ) , a premire commercial glasshouse maker with its home base in Pittsburg , CA .
Farm Manager Ramon Rivera makes certain that the program ’s greenhouse works efficiently and is well - maintained , he enjoin . “ There are so many things to monitor because the environs within the greenhouse is wholly computerized . We take to continue on top of thing like wet and condensation , and we also need to make certain that our plants are growing properly . ”
Inside the nursery
Operations Coordinator Amy Thorpe works with students to produce food that is then consume by surrounding area . “ We grow herbaceous plant , peppers , Lycopersicon esculentum and squeeze , for example , as well as a lot of flowers . ATI has fiddle a major role in giving us advice about what we require and the good way to come near it . ”
In addition , the students at come up Sun Farm & Garden produce a miscellany of lavender and organic structure caution mathematical product while learning how to sew together and crochet , manage armoury and staff the program ’s booth at Craft Fairs and Farmers Markets .
uprise Sun Farm & Garden holds two plant sales every class and they ’re always well - attended , Thorpe said . “ We have one around Easter and another one around the holiday and attract hundreds of multitude . The biotic community has keep going us in so many ways and help us to make these sale and other events successful . ”
bookman from schools throughout the county come to get up Sun Farm & Garden every year to really see food being grown . “ We get more than 2,000 students visiting annually through field trips and other events , Thorpe aver . “ They get to see our process and learn about the maturate mood we ’ve create in our greenhouse . ”
In the greenhouse , the program also grows a variety of cuttings under the supervising of Del Puerto in high spirits scholarly person who take vocational classes . In addition , the Del Puerto landscape invention students are make a drought - resistant garden in front of the schooltime .
The school has a foresighted and illustrious history that dates back to 1870 , which mean that they are celebrating their 150th day of remembrance this year . A railway expansion back in 1888 made it necessary to relocate the originate Sun Grammar School with a mark - new schoolhouse for students from grades 1 - 8 .
A new school cafeteria and additional classrooms were built in 1954 to hold the inflow of bookman from the Navy air post located at Crows Landing . Budget undercut and other factors closed the schooltime in 2010 , but it gained new intent with the passage program for special education students and later re - opened in 2018 .
levelheaded succulents
Thorpe and Rivera know that client armed service and bread and butter are a must with any piece of equipment , particularly a greenhouse . “ Jim Bergantz is our rep at ATI and he was incredible , ” Thorpe say . “ We start literally from lucre here and he decidedly taught us a lot . He explained the greenhouse operation to Amy and me , and offered us several choice , depending on how we use it . Whenever we have any questions , Jim gets us the correct answers right away , which is subservient to our achiever . ”
Jim Bergantz ( Right ) and Kent Wright , Agra Tech Sales engineers are proud to be a part of this project
To include an ATI nursery on their campus , Rivera and his team worked with Ag - Con Construction , Inc. , a 28 - year - old caller in San Jose , CA , that constructs nursery throughout California . “ They had a crowd of five people and it only guide about 2.5 weeks to complete the job , ” he said . “ We get a great deal of use out of this greenhouse and it perform very well . It ’s well - made and really stout , so we know it that will last us for many years . ”
The Rising Sun Farm & Garden in Vernalis , CA is wager several of import roles in the biotic community and majestic of it . With an ATI nursery in full operation , in summation to all of its other awful programs , the hereafter is shining and growing at the Rising Sun Farm & Garden .
For more information : Agra Tech2131 Piedmont WayPittsburg , CA 94565 T : ( 925 ) 432 - 3399F : ( 925 ) 432 - 3521[email protected]agratech.com
