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CCISD holds open house for greenhouse

HANCOCK -- For the first time Saturday, the public saw what Karyn Juntunen had envisioned four years ago.

The Copper Country Intermediate School District's greenhouse made its public debut with an open house and plant sale.

"I just couldn't wait for people to see the possibilities," said Juntunen, coordinator of the CCISD's community transition program for special education students, which grows plants in the greenhouse. "It's one thing to talk about it and give people my vision ... everything in here, this is what I was envisioning, now that it's ours, but also the possibility that students with disabilities can do that."

Proceeds from the plant sale went back into the building and the community transition program.

Dozens of people enjoyed baked goods from the Kangas Cafe and live music from Bob Hiltunen.

Leah Kinnunen of Arnheim bought a mix of tomatoes, marigolds and basil.

"I think it's pretty awesome," she said. "It's a great way to support the community."

Since 2004, Copper Country Intermediate School district students had been using a greenhouse at Copper Country Mental Health in the spring. When CCMH stopped using the greenhouse, they offered it to the CCISD.

The move to its new site outside the CCISD building in Hancock took many stages and many community partners. The foundation was poured by MJO Contracting. With help from Juntunen's husband, Jerry, students from the CCISD's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program built the scaffolding, and raised beds for planting -- built at wheelchair height for the most accessibility.

The Portage Health Foundation provided funding for equipment, including new panels to replace the 30-year-old "coffee-colored" ones, Juntunen said. Numerous other community groups helped with financing and relocation.

It got a new heating system, water, electricity and even wifi access. A table in the greenhouse provides space for meetings and lunch. Behind the greenhouse is a picnic table, along with a visual board for nonverbal students.

The opening had been planned for 2019, but the process was delayed -- first, by the Father's day Flood, which pushed the start date, and then by COVID-19.

Starting after spring break, staff had been out three times a week. After Saturday's sale, the community transition program will move the remainder of the plants to its hoop house by AutoValue in Houghton to continue the sale.

The apple trees on the CCISD property will also be put to good use with the greenhouse's apple cider press, Juntunen said.

"We're really excited about that, because last year we didn't have many apples," she said.

Juntunen will also be planting a pollinator garden with milkweed acquired through another grant.

Juntunen has plans to expand the project even more, using the plants grown in the raised beds to teach cooking and healthy eating in the classroom.

"It's an ongoing project, just sharing the vision," she said.

CCISD teacher Jennifer Meyer said she would use the garden beds to teach her students about plant life cycles. The greenhouse will also teach students also how temperature benefits plant production, she said. She is also part of the garden project at Barkell Elementary School in Hancock.

"Eventually, I'd like to start plants up here to take up to that garden, so my class can share that with the other teachers," she said.