CTE agriscience program expands opportunities with hoop house.

Jorhie Beadle stands in front of the new hoop house.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

VICTORY TOWNSHIP — The West Shore Educational Service District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) agriscience program has a new tool for teaching. Earlier this week, a 30-foot by 48-foot passive solar hoop house was built next to the agriscience classroom located on the campus of West Shore Community College.

Instructor Jorhie Beadle was helping with the build and said the new building will expand learning opportunities for the high school students and will also allow for educational opportunities for the college’s new partnership with Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology’s certification program.

“This offers a hands on component to our program,” Beadle said. One of the issues with the agriscience curriculum is that the school year is from September through June. Most of Michigan’s growing season occurs in the summer months.

“This hoop house will allow us to extend the season a little bit when producing food,” Beadle said. “This will give students an experience of growing food in Michigan’s climate in an energy saving way.”

The hoop house will contain raised beds which have been designed by the students.

“This is also a good opportunity for us to synthesize our partnerships with West Shore Community College and its joint program with Michigan State,” Beadle said.