Members of the Adair County High School agriculture program will be joined by community members today to celebrate the opening of a new greenhouse.
The event marks the fruition of a two-year, $220,000 project that included financial support from the Adair County Agricultural Development Board, the board of education, farm bureau, the conservation district, Farm Credit Mid-America and Kentucky FFA.
Agriculture students have been providing the community with spring bedding plants from a greenhouse that was first constructed in 1987 then moved in 1995 after the high school was constructed.
The new facility will allow the program to continue and expand, and students will be able to learn about horticulture while using modern technology that was not available to them before.
The 30 ft. x 84 ft. greenhouse with a storefront will provide students “with the modern technology they should be familiar with using for the horticulture industry,” said agriculture teacher Brittany Smith. Working ventilation structures, irrigation systems, and dependable temperature controls are standard in the industry, but those were lacking in the old greenhouse.
Students that are part of the plant science pathway learn to grow and produce bedding plants and vegetable plants in the greenhouse. In addition to selling plants to members of the community, students also sell plants the week prior to Mother’s Day to students at the primary and elementary schools. Any plants not sold at the end of the season are donated to local charitable groups.
Seven to 10 students are hired each season to assist with after school sales and cleaning and also work on Saturdays. Smith said students have gone on to work at local agriculture-related businesses and operate lawn/landscape companies.
“The agriculture program, with the help of the greenhouse, is providing and equipping students with customer service and plant production skills that are needed to be employed in their career field,” she added.
Smith teaches related classes and manages the spring bedding plant sale, and Gabby McCauley provides intro to greenhouse classes and instruction for middle school students.
Smith is quick to recognize retired ag teachers for their leadership in the program over the past three decades that have helped lead to this moment.
“ It truly takes a team to pull off big projects like this,” Smith said. “I can’t thank those who have had a hand in this enough. From Mr. Randy Rexroat for paving the way, to Mr. Kirby Hancock for helping it to get started, to the many individuals on each board that approved us for funding and Mr. Chad Parnell and Mr. Jason Faulkner for seeing the value in it for our students...it has truly taken a team,” she said.
A grand opening is being held today at 11 a.m. and the community is invited.
“Thursday, we plan to celebrate this opportunity for our students with our community. We are so excited to showcase their hard work and connect the donors with the finished product. At the same time, we extend an open invitation to the community as I know they are eager to see the fruits of our labor,” Smith said.
The greenhouse is located behind the Adair County High School, 526 Indian Dr., Columbia.
By Sharon Burton
snburton@adairvoice.com
