Horticulture at Clackamas Community College

🌳Nature's Air Conditioners 🌳🌬️
When mid-summer heatwaves hit, the best cooling system around isn't indoors—it’s growing in your yard!!
Trees don't just block the sun; they actively cool the air through a process called evapotranspiration. Think of it as a tree's natural sweating mechanism!
• The AC Equivalent: A single mature tree can provide the cooling power of 10 room-sized air conditioners running 20 hours a day.
• Microclimate Magic: By pulling water from the soil and releasing it as v***r through their leaves, trees absorb ambient heat—dropping canopy-shaded surface temperatures by 20°F to 45°F compared to bare asphalt.
Investing in our canopy isn't just about aesthetics; it’s about real climate resilience right in our neighborhoods.
👇 What is the champion shade tree keeping your yard cool today? Let us know the species below!

Happy International Friendship Day from the Horticulture Department! 🍉🤝🥦

Long before grocery stores, sharing the surplus of a summer harvest was the ultimate gesture of community.
In cultures all over the world, passing a basket of fresh tomatoes, hand full of strawberries or even an extra zucchini over the fence, is a declaration of friendship.

Food grown and shared reminds us that we are all rooted in the same community.
Go share some food!!
🍉🍑🍓🍇🫛🥕🥔🥒🥬🥦🥑🧄🍅🫐

Student Power on the Organic Farm 🧑‍🌾🌾🥬
While most people are hiding from the mid-summer heat in the AC, our Horticulture students are out on the Organic Farm in the early morn doing the heavy lifting!
July and August are the most demanding months of the growing season. Behind every beautiful basket of produce is a student team sweat equity!
We couldn't be prouder of their dedication to learning the real grit of sustainable agriculture.
👇 Drop a 💚 or a "thank you" in the comments to show our incredible student crew some love for keeping the farm thriving this summer!

🍦 Happy National Ice Cream Day! 🍦
🌿 Let's talk about the botanical science behind the scoop. 🌿

Did you know that vanilla (the world's most popular ice cream flavor) comes from a highly complex horticultural process??

Here are some fast facts about this favorite flavor:
• It's an Orchid! : True vanilla comes from Vanilla planifolia, a climbing vine orchid native to Mesoamerica. It is the only orchid that produces an edible fruit!
• The 24-Hour Window: Each orchid flower opens for only one day, often for just a few morning hours. In cultivation, they must be hand-pollinated immediately.
• The Patient Cure: After pollination, the green pods grow for 9 months, then undergo a meticulous multi-month sweating, drying, and curing process to unlock that signature warm aroma.

So next time you enjoy a scoop of vanilla, you are tasting months of dedicated plant science and agricultural artistry! 🍨✨

What is your favorite botanical flavor component? Let us know below! 👇

Herb Talk!
If you’re harvesting your fresh herbs in the afternoon heat, you might be missing out on major flavor. 🌿🍳
Here is a quick rule of thumb for summer harvesting: Always pick your herbs and leafy greens first thing in the morning.
Why? Overnight, the plants hydrate and concentrate their essential oils. Once the hot midday sun hits them, those oils retreat, leaving the leaves slightly bitter and prone to wilting fast.
Want a longer shelf life? Snip them early, pop them in a jar of water like a bouquet!
What’s your favorite herb to work with right now? (We're currently obsessed with putting fresh mint in literally everything). 👇

Invest in roots. Inspire futures. 🌳

Your support of the Arboriculture Scholarship Endowment Fund helps students pursue their passion for trees and build greener communities.

If you know any arborists or folks who might like to throw some beans into the pot, we'd love it fully funded.
https://give.clackamas.edu/damonschrosk

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Limited Registration!! Grab your spot NOW!!! 🦺

Every gift makes a difference🌳 Donate today and help cultivate opportunity for the next generation of arborists. https://give.clackamas.edu/damonschrosk