City Park Greenhouse - Reading, PA - Greenhouses and Nurseries on Waymarking.com

There is a wonderful YouTube video put out by the manager of the Greenhouse and the local city councilman who is very involved with the greenhouse projects. You can view it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB0fb0dExX8

In case you don't have time to watch a 40 minute video, here are the highlights. This greenhouse is a teaching center. They have school children coming constantly to learn about growing and to assist with projects. The main reasons that the greenhouse exists is for "consultation, education and demonstration." In their teaching, they stress educating the children about their environment.

The greenhouse's newest endeavor is experimenting with aquaponics, food which is grown in water through the use of fish. Some of the plants that they are working with are bananas, coffee trees, pomegranates, pears and apples. Tilapia fish live in the water and can also eventually become food. With the fish in the water, the plants grow using bacteria rather than nutrients. No pesticides are used, everything is grown organically.

The greenhouse also stresses using what you have to assist in the environment. The Greenhouse is in the city of Reading and the local citizens don't have big yards in which to grow their own food. So they are taught how to grow food in 5 gallon buckets. By doing this, they reduce the amount of landfill and they also show the public that a movable small garden can produce enough food to provide a healthy diet for them and their families.

The greenhouse considers their method of teaching to apply to the STEAM theory - teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.