Volunteering at Sunshine Acres Children's Home - Part 2 (Greenhouse and Al's Birthday)

While at Sunshine Acres Children's Home, most of our volunteering hours were spent at the P.R.I.Z.E. Aeroponics Greenhouse.  

Money for the greenhouse was donated and the initials of the donor's grandchildren spell out P.R.I.Z.E.  

 

What is Aeroponics?  It’s a form of hydroponics, aeroponics is the process of growing plants without soil, using only water and nutrients. 

But where hydroponic systems suspend roots in a nutrient solution, aeroponic towers periodically spray exposed roots with a solution, providing fresh oxygen, water, and nutrients precisely when plants need them. 

The result is better tasting and incredibly nutritious product – all using dramatically less resources, time, and space.

Aeroponic Tower Farms require 98% less water than conventional farming practices.

The PRIZE Greenhouse at Sunshine Acres has the ability to grow up to 18,000 plants in a 5,600 square foot building. 

The building has a "wet wall" that is watered periodically so that air blown through will cool down the building interior.  The brown part of the wall contains the coils that soak up the water.

On the opposite end of the building are these five giant fans that pull the air through the building.

At various locations in the building there are fans that help circulate the air.  This provides for a more consistent temperature for the plants.

The greenhouse is managed by an energetic, organized, and Navy veteran, Eve.  Every morning that we volunteered at 7:30 we would arrive at the office attached to the greenhouse building.  Eve, who arrives very early each morning, would prepare a list of tasks that need to be completed and she would assign them to each of the volunteers set to work that morning.  

Some of the tasks involved building towers, seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and cleaning pots.

I did a lot of seeding which was tedious.  Eve would make a list of what seeds she wanted planted and how many rows.  Each type of plant had a varying number of seeds needed in each hole.

The seeds were sewn into rockwool for germination.  

Patty seeding with guidance by Eve

Tweezers were needed to pick up each seed

Each row and tray is labeled with the seeds planted and the date.

Here two different types of lettuce were planted (Muir and Cherokee).

Five seed trays planted

All of the seeding work was done in the greenhouse office.  The seed trays were then taken to the greenhouse to be placed on hot pads for germination on the Growing Table.  Here the seeds are watered too..

 

 

 

Four rows of Basil

After planing the seeds, I enjoyed checking in on them whenever I was in the greenhouse to see how they were growing and if I missed any spots in the rockwool.

 

 When the seeds start to sprout, they are separated and transferred to plant trays after being dipped in a planting medium.

Parsley and Romaine Lettuce

Chives

When the seedlings were big enough, plant clips were hooked into the rockwool and the plants placed into the towers.

Once the plants are in the towers, they are watered every hour for 15 minutes.  Eve or her assistant, Faith, apply nutrients as needed.  

Various Lettuces

Snap Peas

Al making sure the pot is plugged in so the pump works.

Before we arrived there were three different types of tomato towers growing.  Al became the tomato wisperer thinning out the plants so light can reach the "fruit" to ripen.

When it was time, the plants were harvested.

Some plants are trimmed such as kale, swiss chard, basil, and spinach.

Kale

Spinach

Other plants such as the various lettuces and celery are completely removed to harvest.

A view inside a pot of celery being harvested.

Celery

Oh, fresh lettuce!

Randy and Al harvesting kale

Kale

The lettuce is harvested including the root ball so it can be placed in a bin with some water to keep it fresh longer.

Produce is stored in big refrigerators in the greenhouse office.

Eggplant

 

 

Flowers

More flowers growing in a tower

Eve, Randy, and Al harvesting and taking down a tower.

Eve in her element

Peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zebra tomatoes, and peppers.

The least favorite task is cleaning the pots, bases, and plant trays.

Clean plant trays, seeding trays, and bins

Randy cleaning the pump in the base

Al has some pots soaking in preparation for cleaning

Al cleaning pots

Randy pressure washing the really dirty pots

 

 

Eve

Al pressure washing the really dirty pots.  He couldn't let Eve and Randy have all the fun!

Clean bases

Clean base covers, the first level of the tower

A stack of clean pots

Clean bases ready for tower building

Al built some trellis for viney plants

 

 

Once or twice a year the "wet wall" is cleaned.  The maintenance crew disassembled the wall so that the guys and Faith could clean the wall.

Randy and Al cleaning the wall

Faith and Randy

These were most of the tasks that Al and I were involved with during our time at the greenhouse.  There are many more that are necessary to keep the greenhouse productive so it can supply food to the dining room and the barn animals.  

A farmer's market building is currently being added to the property so produce from the greenhouse can be sold.  Can't wait to see it when we return.

We were lucky to be able to help Faith, Eve's assistant, celebrate her 21st birthday.

Patty, Al, Faith, Randy, Joyce, Randie, and Dianna

Randy, Patty, Al, Eve, and Faith

Nancy, Eve, Diana, Faith, and Al

Before leaving Eve and Faith threw the volunteers a thank you party.  Eve and Faith are the only paid staff that manage the greenhouse.  The rest are all volunteers both local and RV'ers.

 

At the end of February was Al's birthday.  Al wanted to make ribs for a few of the RV'ers we got to know better so I turned it into his birthday party without him knowing.  Others made side dishes. 

Al preparing the ribs

Al cooking on the patio barbecue

Patty, Lenny (hidden), Al, Floyd, Joyce, Linda, and Randy

Al ended up cooking his own birthday dinner and man was it DELICIOUS!  People were raving about his ribs for weeks!

The Blums celebrated Al's birthday with a surprise Zoom birthday party. 

In early March we learned that Arizona opened up their vaccinations for anyone 55+.  I went online and with hours of persistence I was able to get us appointments the next day.  Three weeks later we had both shots!  That was a big relief as I wasn't sure how that would interrupt our travel plans for the summer.  Where would we be when we're eligible for shots?  Then we would have to stay three more weeks to get the second shot if we had Pfizer or Maderna.  It all worked out great and the process was so organized.  We didn't even have to get out of our truck!

My first Pfizer Shot

Our last month of volunteering at Sunshine Acres was a busy one with Angels Spring Training.  More on that next time.