By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
Although Moapa Valley is known as a great place to garden year-round, not everyone has a green thumb. If you are one of those people that love fresh, home-grown vegetables but don’t have the time or desire to grow your own, you are still in luck.
The MVHS Ag farm has a farmer’s market. And recently, with the help of their FFA team and members of the Agriculture Advisory Board, the Farm has updated the look of the market and expanded it to make it easier for customers to get all the fresh fruits and vegetables they want.
Ag students are given their own garden plots which begin to produce nicely by the end of October. These vegetables, along with those harvested from the farm’s hydroponic greenhouse and from the larger outside gardens, are what the students sell.
“The kids plant their gardens when school starts,” said MVHS Ag instructor Denise O’Toole. “So right now we’re just at the beginning of our harvest. We sell whatever we have, but we are harvesting something most of the year.”
Vegetables produced from student gardens as well as the greenhouse are offered for sale at the entrance to the farm under the eaves of the straw bale house. Parking for the market is on the street or, more safely, in the roadway leading back to the farm. There is a dedicated cooler that has refrigerated items. In addition, a stand with baskets displays bigger vegetables.
This farmer’s market is run on the honor system. It is open 24 hours a day and community members are invited to stop by often and check out the ever-changing offerings. Prices are clearly marked on the fruits and vegetables, but there is also a price sheet in the cooler that can be referenced. Payment may be left in a marked jar and collected by students frequently throughout the day. Exact change is recommended.
Money collected at the farmer’s market goes straight back into agriculture programs. “The proceeds from this are farm-generated funds so they go right back into the gardening and other agricultural programs for the high school kids,” O’Toole said.
There are several vegetables currently in season and more coming on over the next couple months. Currently the stand is offering cantaloupe, melons, Moapa squash, pumpkins, pomegranates, English cucumbers, hydroponic lettuce, and fresh eggs. Over the next weeks, those vegetables will be joined by hydroponic tomatoes, garden lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, cilantro, basil, peas, peppers, carrots, spinach, green beans, and chard. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts will be ready in December or January.
The newly updated display was a labor of love by FFA students and others. The new wooden stand was fashioned by MVHS students Gavin Henrie and Will Dalley. Both boys are members of the FFA, but also are in the construction technology program at the school.
Decorations for the stand were made by Ag Advisory Board member Leah Bush. Other students helped arrange the display and keep the market stocked.
The new look has already generated a lot of community interest. Logandale resident Kurt Kelson dropped by when he saw the new stand. “It really caught my eye as I drove by and made me want to stop and see what they had,” Kelson said. “I like the idea of getting farm-fresh produce from the ag farm because I can see where it’s grown and it’s helping the kids. I mean, how can you not want to shop there?”
Ag student and FFA secretary Olivia Williams explained the importance of the stand from the students’ point of view. “I like our gardening and planting curriculum so it’s rewarding to see the harvest,” she said. “It teaches us to have a great work ethic that we can use later in our lives. The selling part teaches us business skills. On a personal note, working with the farmer’s market has helped me get a sense of the business industry and helps me with the vision of the business I want to start with my mom.”
O’Toole is excited about the new look and invites the community to come and support the ag program. “It’s really a win-win situation between the high school and the community,” she said. “We are able to provide a year-round market that folks can take advantage of. In return, they support our program.”
