Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. is spearheading the construction of avertical garden behind the Lake County Juvenile Court. Currently in its infancy, there is a greenhouse on the premises. Staff photo by John J. Watkins
CROWN POINT — It may look like a patch of soggy black dirt right now, but someday the area behind the Lake County Juvenile Justice Complex may be green.
That’s the plan of Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., senior juvenile judge for Lake Superior Court. With help from some local businesses and others, the former grassy area behind the complex is being cultivated for gardening.
This gardening, the judge said, can give young people something to do that’s outside the traditional classroom setting. In turn, they can care for plants that can offer produce for distribution and possibly also sold.
Some preliminary leveling work has been done, and county officials have applied for grant monies, some of which can help convert a former garage into an indoor garden.
Plans also call for two more greenhouses to be built near the existing greenhouse. The current greenhouse is used for growing flowers and vegetables. The new greenhouses would house cucumbers and onions.
The greenhouse gardening would be seasonal, Stefaniak said, but gardening inside the former garage would go year-round.
Inside the garage, the judge said, lettuce would be grown. He estimates 30,000 heads of lettuce annually, or about 800 heads per week.
Stefaniak labeled the project "aquaponics." This is a food production system that couples aquaculture, or raising aquatic animals such as fish, with hydroponics, or cultivating plants in water. As a result of this coupling, the nutrient-rich water would feed hydroponically grown plant life.
This “vertical garden” setting already has a small pond with some fish, some chickens, an outdoor stage, and a staging area where young people can gather.
Vertical gardening uses containers that stack on top of each other to grow plants upwards instead of horizontally along the ground. This form of gardening considered ideal for small spaces and adds aesthetic value.
Stefaniak cited the donated efforts of Misch Excavating and Midget Concrete, both of Crown Point, in preparing the grounds. The project, the judge said, is being done in cooperation with the Lake County Council and Lake County Board of Commissioners.
Once the garden is operating, Stefaniak anticipates 8-12 young people working at it daily. The judge reported consultants said that the gardens could be producing food some time this year.
“We’re trying to introduce kids to new activities,” the judge said. “This relaxes the kids. It allows them to open up in a new environment.”
Stefaniak also wants to work with local universities to bring agriculture students who can assist the young people.
Some of the produce raised, the judge noted, can go to Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. Some can also go to Lake County government employees.
The garden would assist the juvenile center’s education department. The facility already offers welding certification, and with the number of forklifts being used on the garden project, Stefaniak foresees a possible forklift certification offering.
The education department at the juvenile center gives the resident the opportunity to continue to earn credit from one’s home school, regardless of age and ability while detained. The center works with young people through age 18.
The education staff will give assistance and monitor the resident in the completion of the school work. All residents of the Juvenile Center have a structured class schedule weekdays which includes life skills, physical education, science and recreation.
© Copyright 2024, nwitimes.com, Munster, IN