Blossoming in the Greenhouse

Thank you to Owen Lackey, Lead Instructor for Horticulture, for writing today's blog.

Blossoming… 

Blooming... 

Flashes of brilliant color, and breathtakingly beautiful things...

 Attracting the attention of all in the ecosystem surrounding... 

...Spring in a greenhouse is the season of uncovering and viewing the potential of the coming bounty. It is a season of observing the greatness of creation and the understanding of Divine planning for all this. 

But I’m not talking about flowers…

I was blessed by an opportunity this year to nurture young minds, and to tender care and experience into the lives of folks expressly interested in the world around us. I now get to see a wonderful unfolding in spring’s masterful display. 

Some of these seeds have been waiting a long time to experience the wonder and fulfillment they find in a greenhouse. They seem to suddenly notice the light, and start using the stored up juices from rooted knowledge to explore the air around them. They stretch to the sun to show the world that they have found their place.

My hope is that the feeling never wears off. I see fruit-bearing ahead…

 The greenhouse is in full bloom.  Join us in May for the Shepherds College plant sale in the greenhouse on Fridays 12p-5p, Saturdays 9a-2p, and Memorial Day 9a-2p.

 



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Shepherds Greenhouse - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Thank you to Owen Lackey, Lead Instructor, Horticulture, for writing today's blog.

Nearly four decades ago, Shepherds found itself in an era of transition as enrolled children began to become young adults. A few conversations at Shepherds Home and School were soon purposed toward discovering new and challenging educational activities. Added activities would enhance care and vocational programs for residents. During this era, queries and contacts were extended to friends and families of the ministry in order to include them in the process.  One contact in particular took root quickly, resulting in a growing, lively branch of the ministry.

Shepherds greenhouse program began in the late 1970’s with the gift of a working greenhouse from a generous family desiring to assist Shepherds in its ministry purpose. This first 2,000 sq. ft. greenhouse served its function in giving Shepherds a lively, living workplace in which to enjoy plants, get dirty and wet, and work toward productive outcomes!

A campus will often grow and prosper, and, in 1990, the greenhouse location on Shepherds campus proved to be a valuable spot for building expansion. Relocation was planned, but the original family that provided the greenhouse decided that it was time to bless Shepherds again, this time with a larger, state-of-the-art steel structure. 

This structure has served Shepherds Ministries very well over the past 25 years. It has been home base for the grounds and greenhouse crews of Shepherds clients who have worked to decorate and care for the campus. Many classes and individual clients have spent time transplanting and potting-up plants for sale or installations on campus each spring. At 3,600 sq. ft., the space provided adequate growing room for spring seasonal bedding sales, vegetable garden starts, perennial divisions, and specialty plant storage.

Seven years ago, Shepherds College opened its doors to begin ministering to the educational and vocational preparation needs of young adults with intellectual disabilities who would benefit from its help. The two primary vocational tracks for students were Culinary Arts and Horticulture. As the College has grown, it has been a great privilege to turn over more and more greenhouse lab space to meet the needs of Horticulture students for active learning space. As a result, the Horticulture students and staff now operate the greenhouse, while Shepherds campus and its grounds crew still enjoy the advantages of growing space, right on campus. 

The Horticulture students of Shepherds College enjoy a three year experience in the various aspects of a career in the Green Industry. They are involved in vegetable gardening and small-greenhouse growing of tender crops. They also participate in grounds care, teaming up with the grounds crew in campus work. The spring brings an active, aggressive push toward filling our larger greenhouse, so there is a lot of work happening there! Third year students are then given opportunity to fine tune their skills in local “green” businesses, serving as interns in their work areas for four days a week.

This year, once again, the Shepherds College Greenhouse will be opening its doors to community opportunity.

Shepherds College Greenhouse will be open to the public each Friday and Saturday for the month of May and also Memorial Day. Horticulture students will be available to sell the 30,000 plants that they have been involved in raising. As a part of their training, they will be involved as sales staff, sharing their Horticulture knowledge with the public and learning the ins and outs of customer service!

Plant materials for sale will include:

·         Bedding plants for yard and garden

·         Vegetable plants

·         Perennials

·         Hanging baskets

·         Hanging bags

·         Custom potting will be available, performed by our students

·         A rental program will continue offering large planters (24”) for June delivery to a local site.

Greenhouse hours will be restricted to five hours per day in order to match student availability. Hours will be as follows:

·         Friday, May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from noon to 5pm

·         Saturday, May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 9 am to 2 pm

·         We will be open on Memorial Day from 9 am to 2 pm

 

We hope to see all of our local friends at the Plant Sale! Call 262-878-5620 ext. 6423 with any questions.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Room to Grow

While most of Shepherds College – and Shepherds Ministries for that matter – is full of chatter and high energy, this corner of campus is much different.

It’s quiet and warm in here. The building is flooded with bright sunlight. It smells of soil and sweet, floral perfume. The only sounds are the whir of metal fans mounted to the side of the building and muted conversation among the students and their instructor.

This is the greenhouse – the classroom for the Horticulture students and the playground for their imaginations.

The relaxed and peaceful atmosphere is like therapy to the soul. It seems like time moves a little slower in here. There’s none of that fast-pace rush from here to there that seems to control the rest of our lives. Not here. And even if you lack a green thumb (like I do), there’s just something about the greenhouse that makes you feel at home.

The students can sense that serenity, too. In fact, Rachel chose the Horticulture major specifically for the quiet, low-key atmosphere of the greenhouse. Noise can be distressing to her, so she finds solace in the peace of this building.

I loved wandering through the rows of plants, admiring the hard work of the students. There were flowers I had never heard of, plants that typically grow in very different climates, garden vegetables, and a section of plants that needed healing, like a plant hospital. The students were doctoring them up for staff members who lack their gardening skills, just as I do.

The students find so much joy in their studies, and they each love different aspects of working in the greenhouse. They have various strengths and talents that will serve them well in their future careers.

I’m convinced that Ray can name every plant that was ever grown in the greenhouse. His memory amazes me. And these aren’t easy names like “daisy” or “rose.” We’re talking about plants called “papyrus” and “celosia.”

Sean’s interest in plants is focused on a slightly different area of the growth process. He loves breaking down materials and adding them to the compost pile. Sean’s role aids the cycle of plant life. The work he does will help plants continue to grow in the future.

And there’s Tess. She wants to see her plants grow and thrive. Tess enjoys designing flower beds and floral pieces. Her dream is to work in a florist shop, but for now, she’s focused on nurturing her plants. She offered me a shy smile as she showed me the flower bed she was working on. It was truly beautiful.

“Plants are really pretty, and I want to make them grow,” Tess said.

That desire to help things grow and flourish is so innate. We all love to see things develop and mature. But even though you can manipulate the amount of fertilizer, water, and sunlight a plant receives, you cannot completely control the rate at which a plant will grow. It matures at its own pace.

Plants are kind of like us in that way. We each grow at our own pace, too. People will try to rush us or push us in a certain direction, but not everyone reaches the same milestones at the same time. There is not a general formula for growth or learning. God has created each of us in a unique way, and we will grow at the pace He has designed for us.

This is why the greenhouse is the ideal place for students at Shepherds College to learn. Each student has plenty of space to spread out and to grow and succeed at their own pace. As the students’ plants develop, so do they.

Little pressure and frustration, lots of love and nurturing, and just the right amount of sunlight – sounds like the perfect place to grow, don’t you think?

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

I Wish

“The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

                                            

Dreams. They allow us to step away from reality for a moment and imagine amazing possibilities. When we’re dreaming, we don’t have to worry about the bills that need to be paid or the pile of laundry that needs to be washed or the exams that need to be taken. We are just free to imagine.

Shepherds College is the fruit of dreams. It was born from desires for a unique program that catered to young adults with intellectual disabilities. It may have seemed like an impossible dream to some people, but with hard work and God’s provision, that fantasy became reality. Now that Shepherds College is in operation, it is a primary launching pad for other dreams.

Imagine the day you find out that you’re going to have a child. Such hopes and aspirations would originate. You would want certain things for your child, and you would imagine your child’s life heading in a specific direction.

Then, imagine the day when you are told that your child, this child you are eagerly expecting, has a disability. How heartbreaking that must be. How frightening. In that one moment, you feel as if everything you’ve hoped and planned for came crashing down. That perfect little world of wishes you created has been smashed into a million pieces. And you’re not sure if you will ever be able to dream again.

But there is a way to transform those dreams and turn them into something new.
 

Last week, I led a tour for a couple that decided spur of the moment to visit Shepherds College. This couple had just found out about Shepherds Ministries the day before, and they were overflowing with excitement about the college. You see, their granddaughter has Down syndrome.

When they learned of their granddaughter’s diagnosis, I’m sure some of their dreams for her were crushed. They had to rethink what this little girl’s life would be like. They had to let go of some of the plans they had for her.

But as this couple visited Shepherds College, I believe some of those old, forsaken dreams started to come back to life. The couple saw the greenhouse and culinary arts classrooms where students learn a craft and refine their skills. They saw the beautiful housing options that teach students how to live with others and handle responsibilities. They heard about the graduates who are now employed and living on their own.

I think that couple could imagine their granddaughter here, learning and growing and becoming more independent than they may have believed possible. I think they reinvented dreams for their granddaughter that day. Dreams of success and happiness.

Shepherds College can do that. They can take old, broken wishes that seem unattainable and change them a little to make them possible. That’s what they’re all about – seeing abilities instead of disabilities and understanding that all people are designed with a specific purpose in mind.

I included a quote at the beginning of this article. It’s a beautiful quote about reaching for dreams that seem beyond our capabilities. Some people get discouraged by ideas that seem unlikely or impractical, so they just stop thinking about them. This quote urges you to stretch for those crazy ridiculous dreams. In fact, it says your wishes should scare you, and if they don’t, you’re not dreaming the right kind of dreams.

When I imagined doing an internship at Shepherds, I was a little frightened. I’d never been away from home before. I knew very few people in the area. I had no idea what church I would go to or if I would make friends. Who would be my roommate? What kind of work would I be doing? Most importantly, would I regret my decision to come?

There was no way I could discover the answers to these questions unless I just went for it. I needed to reach for my dream, and if I made it, then I would find all those answers I was looking for.

What about you? Are you dreaming big right now? Do your dreams include Shepherds College? Maybe your son, daughter, student, relative, or friend has intellectual disabilities. Are they discouraged? Have their wishes been crushed, broken, discarded?

Shepherds College can reshape those dreams, repair them and make them brand-new. It might be a little scary at first to imagine trying something so different and new, but that’s the beauty of big dreams. They’re supposed to frighten and excite you all at the same time. If you get past that fear and trust God with your big dreams, incredible things can happen.

Shepherds College can help students dream again – big, beautiful, fantastic dreams. And these dreams can come true.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

Friday's Top Five: What We're Missing

For most people, summer is a time of fun and excitement, rest and relaxation. It’s the season we look forward to all year long. But for those of us still at Shepherds College, summer can be sort of a drag.

With the students and many of the teachers away on their summer break, things can get a little boring around here. It’s a lot quieter. There’s not near as much activity going on. And we’re all just waiting for school to start up again.

I’m sure if you asked most of the students, they would say they are enjoying their break way too much to think about school. But whether they admit it or not, I’m sure they’re starting to get at least a little bit excited about the new school year.

The students may not be missing us quite yet, but we sure are missing them. Here are some of the things we miss about our Shepherds College students:

1. Their energy.

If you were a visitor at Shepherds College and you happened to be walking down the hallways in between class periods, you would understand exactly what we’re talking about when we say energy. Maybe the students are nervous about an upcoming test. Maybe they’re releasing all the wiggles pent up during class. Maybe they’re just excited about all that they are learning. Whatever it is, there is definitely a high level of energy in our hallways when the students are around. It makes you excited to hear the chatter and laughter and to see the activity and smiles. It will energize you, too!

The “Move to the Groove” program encourages our students to have fun while being physically active and also really increases the energy level on campus. It’s usually held in the gymnasium, and students can exercise by shooting hoops, riding the stationary bikes, walking laps, or doing aerobics. Even some of the Shepherds residents get involved. Mrs. Harvey says that she can feel the happy energy when the students’ participate and it gives her a boost to get past the after-lunch slump.

2. The things they say.

Nicole

You never know what our students are going to say, and that’s what makes life with them so interesting. From their sweet words of kindness and encouragement to their hilarious jokes, the students always have something intriguing to talk about. And they love to talk!

 

Miranda

When I observed a personal development class, students were giving speeches as part of their final. The “audience” was supposed to give the speaker critiques on their speech by using the “sandwich” method: positive comment, something to improve on, positive comment. Nicole only gave positive comments. She could never find something for her classmates to work on. She was quite the encourager. And for some reason, Miranda has taken to teasing me with the nickname “troublemaker.” I haven’t the slightest idea what that’s about! Oh, they make me smile.

3. Their hugs.

Many of our students are gifted with the abilities to comfort and encourage. It feels good when they are so excited to see you that their whole face lights up and they hurry to you for a hug. The students have a special way of making you feel important and appreciated. They’re also very perceptive and can tell when people are worried or hurting. The students love to make friends and be a part of the Shepherds family. They love making people feel loved.

4. The stories they share.

Remember when I said our students love to talk? Well, I wasn’t kidding. Our students enjoy asking people questions and finding out more about them, but they also love telling their own stories, too. They like to surprise you or make you laugh, so their storytelling is usually pretty exciting and dramatic. But they are heartfelt stories, too. They are stories that make you smile.

I think the biggest storyteller on campus is Ray. He always has a story to share, and I love hearing his deep, scratchy voice. Ray has told me stories about movies he’s watched, music he listens to, his mom’s birthday, his extended family, memories with the 2012 graduates, his excitement of being a third year student, and just about every plant growing in the greenhouse. This guy loves stories, and he does a great job of telling them, too. I miss that.

Ray

5. Their smiles.

I could write words upon words about the students’ precious smiles and what they mean to us at Shepherds College, but why make you read when I can show you instead?

Need I say more?

So, while our students enjoy a break from their studies, we eagerly anticipate the coming school year because oh, how we miss those students!

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.