CSB greenhouse grows assortment of plant life during winter months
This is the opinion of Taylor Barber.
One of my favorite parts about CSBSJU is that I am constantly discovering new spots and groups to participate in.
One of my new favorite places at CSB is the Full Circle Greenhouse! “What, CSB has a greenhouse?” I asked myself that same thing before I joined Full Circle, which is the group that grows and harvests plants in the greenhouse throughout the cold winter months.
Fun fact; we are having our first harvest on Sat, Jan. 22 and will be selling a variety of veggies later that day!
The Full Circle greenhouse is a fascinating creation that uses the power of the sun to grow the greenest of plants, even during the coldest of months.
This greenhouse (located out by the maintenance and bus garages at CSB) is a passive solar greenhouse. According to an article from Unbound Solar, passive solar greenhouses harness the energy from the sun to heat the greenhouse during the day and store that energy to also heat it at night.
The structure of the greenhouse allows the angle that the sun sits at during winter months to hit the roof and siding of windowpanes, which provides the light and heat that plants need during the day.
Hot air also is pumped underneath the greenhouse, which heats the rock bed underneath.
This hot air is distributed throughout the night when there is no sun (and thus, no heat) that can reach the plants.
Another way to heat the greenhouse during the cold winter nights comes through “heat sinks,” which are water barrels that can diffuse heat throughout the greenhouse.
When even those natural ways are not enough to combat the cold, we have a handy-dandy heater and fan inside to adjust the temperature to accommodate the plants.
Another common name for these passive solar greenhouses is “deep winter greenhouses.”
The sun is a powerful object, and we all know how hot it can get during the Minnesota summers here on campus.
The greenhouse is way too hot during the warmer months for plants to grow. It can reach high 90s in there during those sunny summer days, or even hotter!
However, the ability to diffuse heat during the winter makes it a fantastic place to naturally grow your own food during the winter months when nothing else can really grow.
Plus, it is environmentally friendly as it harnesses the natural strength and power of the sun, except for those days when it needs a little support (everyone needs a little help occasionally, even greenhouses!).
If you are interested in volunteering in this wonderful building, you can email the Full Circle Team at fullcircle@csbsju.edu. Otherwise, keep an eye out for some fresh greens being sold this weekend and later throughout the semester!