LORDSTOWN — A former indoor swimming pool and student locker rooms at Lordstown High School have been transformed into an indoor greenhouse for a new agriculture program.

Seth Mansell, a physical education / health teacher at the school, said the swimming pool was closed more than 15 years ago and there was discussion of having an outdoor greenhouse which then became an indoor greenhouse.

“We decided on an indoor greenhouse because I wanted to have something the students could take care of year-round. We knew the swimming pool room was available,” Mansell said.

A 30-minute per day one-semester class called “Farm to Table” was offered this school year and has 18 senior students coming to the greenhouse to take care of the variety of plants they are growing.

“Everything in the greenhouse has been grown from seed since September,” Mansell said.

He said he wants the students to learn and understand how to grow different plants from seed and then take those seeds and grow something again.

Each school day, students water and prune plants, check humidity, check and record plant growth and transplant large plants to a raised bed or a larger pot. Plants include everything from peppers, strawberries, three kinds of tomatoes, lavender, cucumbers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard and catnip.

Mansell said the needed equipment came in August and work began to create the greenhouse. He said LED lights and raised plant beds and grow bags were put in during September. In one corner of the swimming pool room is a plant growth shelf.

Mansell, who has an outside garden at his home, said indoor gardening is new to him.

Mansell said the students are each assigned specific plants.

Students see how a seed is planted, grows and then can be eaten. He said students have sampled strawberries and spinach with tomatoes ready to be eaten before Christmas. Students have taken catnip home for their cats.

“They are surprised when they come back on Monday to see how much has grown over the weekend. They have seen how the plants have really grown in the past few months. They liked trying the strawberries that they grew,” Mansell said.

He said future plans are to create another greenhouse in a different locker room.

Mansell said he would like to see the program turn into a small business for the students to be able to sell vegetables and other items.

“I give very minimal instruction anymore. The students come in and know what to do without me having to say a word. They take care of everything and I watch what they are doing,” Mansell said.

Dani Lickwar said each student has taken a turn to help take care of different plants.

“Everything has been grown from scratch. I have taken care of tomatoes and cucumbers. We plant from seed. It is surprising how much work goes into it,” Lickwar said.

Sarah Strenk said she has learned the best ways to grow plants and best take care of them.

“It is rewarding to see things grow,” Strenk said.

Lickwar said they often spend time transferring plants that have gotten bigger into larger containers.

Katie Moyers said “I really enjoy getting to work with my classmates on something different throughout the school day. I feel it is great to gain the knowledge that you can do something like this at your house on your own.”

Moyers said she likes being able to take home what has been planted after it has been harvested.

Lily Mazurkiewivcz said she is glad she learned gardening skills so that after she graduates from high school she can garden at home.

“I feel I have gained the fundamentals of gardening. I was really surprised how fast everything has grown and now we have a whole greenhouse garden in three months,” she said.

District Superintendent Greg Bonamase said Title IV funds were used, with $5,000 of the $12,000 available used for the greenhouse and equipment to get the program up and running.

He said there also is an outdoor greenhouse on the school property

“We are excited for the students. This is a program they enjoy being part of,” Bonamase said.