Students in Naugatuck Valley Community College’s Horticulture Program have spent the last semester cultivating ornamental and edible crops that they’ll now sell from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., May 5-9 in the Technology Hall Greenhouse, 750 Chase Parkway. The spring bedding plants fill the greenhouse this time of year and are the outcome of sustainable production practices in the horticulture classes.
“Interest in sustainable crop production is on the rise, throughout the state and at the college” says Christopher Tuccio, program coordinator. “Students learn about an integrated pest management approach that focuses on small preventative measures that are sensitive to the environment.”
Horticulture students work in teams or individually throughout the semester to grow a particular crop, learning about the plant’s water requirements, nutrient needs and possible complications. Some of the edible crops are used at the college for events, classes and luncheons put on by the Hospitality Program.
The NVCC Horticulture Program is a career-oriented degree program that leads students toward an Associate of Science in Horticulture. Upon successful completion, students are prepared for immediate employment within the green-industry or to move on to a four-year institution, if desired. The program includes two full years of study and an appropriate, supervised cooperative work experience that places students in greenhouses, wholesale nurseries, landscape businesses, and agricultural extension agencies. Graduates of the program find work in a variety of disciplines as greenhouse managers, landscape designers, pest management supervisors, community farmers, plant propagators and more.
For more information about the sale or the horticulture program, contact Tuccio at ctuccio@nv.edu or 203-596-8634.
Naugatuck Valley Community College serves Beacon Falls, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Cheshire, Danbury, Middlebury, Naugatuck, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Oxford, Prospect, Roxbury, Sherman, Southbury, Thomaston, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown and Woodbury. The College is located on a 110-acre campus at 750 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, Conn., and in Danbury at 183 Main Street. The College is one of 17 institutions governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. Visit nv.edu for more information.