Mme Serrah Gossmann had a vision back in 2016 to launch the building of a functioning greenhouse for her students at École élémentaire catholique Saint-Michel (St-Michel) in Leamington to learn in. According to Mme Gossmann, the project had a simple goal: to offer all students at St-Michel a concrete, living learning environment deeply rooted in the agricultural community.
A 10th anniversary celebration of the greenhouse project was held on May 6, which included a ribbon-cutting for the new state-of-the-art greenhouse that now stands in the school’s courtyard, in full bloom with numerous plants.
From peppers, cukes and tomatoes on one side to various perennials and flowers on the other, each student stood by their row ready to explain to visitors exactly how the process works. The greenhouse is designed for all students from J-K to Grade 8 and a group of 12 students known as “Les Pouces Verts”, which translates to green thumbs in English, have been dutifully tending to the crops since December.
The original build was due in a large part to several local companies who built the original structure. Recently, more partnerships formed with outside companies such as Prospiant, a local greenhouse builder who specializes in state-of-the-art greenhouse construction and engineering. Tony Abbas, of Prospiant, met with Mme Gossmann and then procured the help of at least a dozen other greenhouse-related companies to get the job done.
Guy Totaro of Mucci Farms lent his growing expertise to the project as well. In the end, Gossmann says it’s all about the students, all of whom will learn so much about the industry and gain a new appreciation for greenhouses.
“Dear students, this greenhouse belongs to you, first and foremost. Take care of it, bring it to life, help it grow,” she said. “What you cultivate here is not only plants— it is your skills, your creativity, your sense of responsibility, and perhaps even your future passions. Today, we are not just opening a greenhouse. We are opening a door to the future.”
