AQUAPONICS We operate a 500-gallon aquaponics system inside the greenhouse, growing both food and fish in a symbiotic relationship. The fish produce nitrogen and minerals that plants need to grow. Minimal water is used in this closed-loop system. Aquaponics is a sustainable food system for growing plants year round, even in winter temperatures.
MUSHROOMS In collaboration with a local mushroom grower, we utilize spent mushroom blocks to compost organic material while also growing the remaining spores onsite at the mushroom garden.
HOOP HOUSES Hoop houses are covered spaces that are heated through passive solar energy using the greenhouse effect. Interlochen’s hoop houses allow us to grow and harvest twelve months of the year—making them a special tool in northern Michigan, where our growing climate is normally only a few months long. We have three hoop houses on site and use each of them in regular crop rotations, paying careful attention to soil health, cover crops, crop varieties, and pest pressures. “Sustainability at Interlochen showcases the ability we have to be innovators and lead the way into change. We unveil where food comes from for our students. We hope to inspire others to nurture nature, too.”
JIMI ALPERS, SUSTAINABILITY GROUNDS FOREMAN AT INTERLOCHEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDENS We have gardens full of native perennial plants to attract pollinators, which are beneficial to the local ecology and the crops we grow at Interlochen. We host a variety of native plants that provide nectar and pollen sources all spring, summer, and fall. These pollinator gardens are one way we support native habitats while growing food in our agricultural system.
11 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2028
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