Plant sale to benefit FFA Saturday

Horticulture students have been growing plants in the newly constructed greenhouse since December.

Sophomore Dawson Zens said digging up the dirt for the greenhouse floor has been the most challenging part of class. He and another 14 students helped put together grow boxes and containers, leveled the dirt floor in the greenhouse and laid tarp over the top of it. They have also learned how to plant plugs and water.

The tables and containers were made possible through a farm to table grant. He noted that this year’s horticulture class will look a lot different from future classes because the greenhouse was still being constructed at the beginning of the year.

All of the plugs have come from Southeast Technical College. Ag instructor and FFA adviser Clayton Sorum goes up once a week to pick up the plugs and bring them back.

The plants will be for sale at the greenhouse April 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until they sell out. Plants range from many different vegetables and flowers. Sorum noted in the last three weeks they have planted 6,000 plants in the greenhouse.

Getting ready for the sale, Sorum had students from all seven periods helping plant.

Proceeds from the plant sale will go toward the FFA chapter. With the proceeds, they hope to be able to send some members to leadership camp and national convention.

Besides the plant sale, produce from the plants have been going into other programs in the school. The FACS class has used the parsley and basil in their burger challenge. The school lunch program has used lettuce for tacos. In his classroom, Sorum used tomatoes and peppers to make salsa.