Jessica Babb | Broadcast Managing Editor
Mission Waco opened the first fully sustainable greenhouse in Waco this afternoon.
Located right next to the Jubilee Market at North 15th Street and Colcord Avenue, the greenhouse will supply fresh fruit, vegetables and fish that will be sold at the grocery store.
The greenhouse comes with solar panels, a rainwater catchment, and both water purification and composting systems.
Jimmy Dorrell, the Executive Director of Mission Waco, Mission World, said he hopes the greenhouse will provide healthy food and help educate nearby community members on how to live sustainably.
“Our goal is to educate people who are already struggling, and in many cases to be able to cut down on their expenses, [so they can] eat better and live better,” Dorrell said.
Mission Waco received a $234,000 grant from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, that made funding for the project possible.
Numerous Baylor students and faculty members from the departments of environmental science, engineering and computer science were also involved in this project.
The sustainability project is being called “Urban REAP”, which stands for the Urban Renewable Energy and Agriculture Project.
