Sixth graders at Woodbury Middle School carefully placed tiny seeds of basil and dill into cubes of rockwool in the first stages of planting their hydroponic herb garden. Culinary Arts Teacher Mike Hadoulis introduced his 6th-grade students to the concept of hydroponics -- growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil as they begin their trimester-long culinary class.

Hadoulis said this exercise teaches students a new concept of growing, but also about the importance of sustainable agricultural practices -- where they are directly involved in cultivating the items they will use in the recipes they make in class.

Each trimester, students in all culinary classes will plant and care for their hydroponic herb gardens. They will use the harvested bunches of basil and dill to add to various dishes, including fresh pesto and dill pickles, as well as in many of the dishes students create during each trimester’s cooking competitions. Hadoulis, who is a graduate of the Agriscience program at Nonnewaug High School, brought the concept of a vertical hydroponic garden to the middle school when he began as the Culinary Arts teacher here eight years ago. Each year, students cultivate about 200 plants of basil and dill right here at school.