Special features in the greenhouse promote learning all year long

State-of-the-art heating and cooling systems are an integral part of the new greenhouse on the south end of the ag building at the Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School.

Roof and sidewall vents automatically open and close according to the temperature in the room to ensure that it will always remain between 60 and 80 degrees. When the room reaches 76 degrees, the roof vents will open, and the side vents will open when it reaches 79 degrees. As soon as the room temperature reaches 80 degrees, the roof vents will close and the fans will kick in to keep the air flowing sideways instead of up.

There is also a shade system connected to a device that measures the intensity of the sun and adjusts the shades accordingly to prevent crops from burning.

Matt Christian, Witt-Birn’s ag science teacher, noted that having the automated temperature controls will enable students to conduct plant growth experiments throughout the entire school year.

“I have a plant science class that is working on produce with the hope of donating to the produce to the Wittenberg Food Pantry before Christmas,” said Christian.

Sweet corn, cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peas, green beans and cucumbers are being grown now for that project.

Junior Hunter Matsche is doing an experiment on corn growth in the new building. He’s hoping to determine whether growth of the plant and cob size are affected by growing one or two stalks in a single large planter. The corn was started in small containers before being moved to pots on the back side of the tables to allow the most room for corn stalk height. His assumption is that the single stalk in a planter will grow well, but maybe the competition of having two stalks growing in one planter might affect the growth in a positive way. Matsche might use this experiment as an agri-science fair project for FFA.

The 7,800-square-foot building was constructed as part of the referendum project. There are three main sections to the building: a pen area for animals, two large classrooms and the greenhouse, which also contains a hydroponic area and fish tank.

In the spring, students will be able grow flowers and vegetables on a larger scale in preparation for the annual greenhouse sale. The fundraiser is a big part of the agricultural education. It gives students the opportunity to interact with the customers and gain the experience of growing and marketing products.

Currently there is no music in the building, but that will be introduced later as an encouragement for plant growth and animal management, Christian said.

In college, he did a study for a music class that found that milk production increased with music, and the constant noise covers the other noises in the barn that would normally startle the animals. Although he doesn’t remember which genre of music he played for his study, he does remember his grandfather saying that polka music is the best for dairy cattle.