Service Learning Project By: Kurt Schmidt, Taylor Hintz and Nick Braemer

Agency:

Growing Power thrives by support from community volunteers and dedication from the hard working staff.

They also receive support from the state of Wisconsin to help fund their organization.

Growing Power sells fresh produce to the community that is grown organically at other small farms across the country.

They also sell other organic products such as coffee, honey, syrup and flour. The two pound bags of potting soil that is prepared naturally at the location is also available for purchase.

Growing Power conducts tours of the facility on a regular basis to teach the community and other small farmers the techniques they use to keep a farm thriving inside of a large city.

Our Service Work: Worm Castings Sprout Mix We shoveled soil from the worm castings bin and the sprout mix bin and put it into wheel barrels in order to bring it to the sifting machine.

Our Service Work: We then shoveled the soil into the sifting machine to make it into a more fine soil more fertile for growing plants.

Our Service Work: The soil gets spun through the sifter leaving the good soil on the bottom and the waste in the bucket at the end.

Our Service Work: We also had the task of feeding the chickens bread crumbs. After feeding them we collected their eggs which will be sold in the store.

Our Service Work: Growing Power receives collard greens which are donated from a generous farm. We had to sort the greens into good and bad piles. The greens that are not any good for eating added to the compost pile.

Our Service Work: The greens that are good for eating are used to feed the goats. They sell the goat’s milk to a local company to be used in various organic food products.

Our Service Work: The plants also need to be watered on a regular basis because the green houses reach temperatures above 75 degrees even in the winter months.

Our Service Work: Most of the work done at Growing Power is done by hand. Because of this, many hours are put in order to complete the tasks needed to keep the place running smoothly.

Our Service Work: We also assisted in the construction of a new water aquaponics irrigation system.

Our Service Work: The finished system will act as a home to fish as well as a way to nourish the plants grown above it.

Our Service Work: Growing Power doesn’t waste any space in the few green houses they have.

Growing Power is the last surviving farm in the inner Milwaukee area. Our service work, combined with the outreach of the surrounding community, helps keep the Growing Power facility operating as smooth and cost efficient as it does.

… Thanks for volunteering guys!!!