A SUNY Delhi student is pairing her culinary classes with an independent study of growing herbs by hydroponics.
Sophomore Evelyn Eastman said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, her family expanded its home vegetable garden in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Her mom is a science, technology, engineering, art and math teacher of gifted students who uses a hydroponics system in her classroom, which fascinated Eastman.
Eastman said she chose to attend SUNY Delhi because it offered pastry courses and cross country and track, so she could pursue both of her passions while at college. She wondered last semester if there was a way she could pair gardening, another passion, with her pastry classes.
She met with Professor Linda Blocker and proposed her idea about an independent study course she was passionate about. Blocker put her in touch with Jack Tessier in the biology department to see if there was a hydroponics growing system, and there was indeed a tiny one. Julia Ward, who is the greenhouse facility manager, offered two hydroponic towers in the greenhouse used by the golf and sports turf management program for Eastman to use.
Eastman said she started growing the basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary from seeds at the beginning of the semester. Once they germinated, she moved the plants to the towers at the end of January.
The plants are rooted in rockwool, which allows the plant to absorb the right amount of continuously flowing water in the hydroponics system. One tower contains all basil plants, and the other one has the thyme, oregano and rosemary plants.
“The basil is doing very well,” she said. “The oregano and rosemary took longer to germinate. They grow slower.”
Her project also showed her how different climates, heat and sunlight affected the growth of her herbs. Eastman said she checks the pH levels of the water two to three times per week. The plants will only grow at certain pH levels, if it’s too acidic or basic, the plants will die. She also gives the plants nutrients once or twice per week.
She said she hopes to harvest enough of the herbs to incorporate them into different foods she’s preparing in her culinary classes, including pesto, focaccia and infusing the herbs into oil.
In addition to growing the plants, Eastman is researching how universities, restaurants and growers incorporate hydroponics. She said some universities have hydroponics systems in their cafeterias so students can see what food is being grown. She is interested in continuing her hydroponics study to see if she can grow peppers next semester.
She said she will present her findings at the college’s annual student research day in May.