Greenhouse project growing (6/23/02)

When the Jay County High School Agriculture Department reached its fund-raising goal of $80,000 for a new greenhouse at the high school, organizers didn’t waste any time patting themselves on the back.

They more than doubled their fund-raising aspirations and started making plans for building what will be one of the more technologically advanced greenhouse facilities around.

Having already raised $156,000 of the revised $195,000 goal, JCHS agriculture instructor Bob Lyons said he wouldn’t be surprised if the project surpasses $200,000.

“At first I just thought it was going to be a greenhouse,” Lyons said. “I really am excited about it. It’s the wave of the future, and we’re going to have a lot more interest in our agriculture program when the kids see something new and shiny out there.”

With the unexpected surge in donations made to The Greenhouse Project, what would have been a simple facility for horticulture students will now include a portable classroom, specialized watering systems, computers, intercoms, environmental controls and an aqua-culture lab.

“The list goes on and on,” Lyons said of the extras they’ve added since revising the original plans. “So what was going to be $80,000 turns into $200,000. Instead of having all this put together quick, we figured we’d better have it right. Rather than say we’re going to have it ready for when school starts this fall, and live with something forever that we knew could have been better, we figured we’d slow down, raise more money and make sure we have it right.”

The ag department raised a whopping $25,000 from its year-end parent and member FFA Banquet. The FFA has raised $32,000 over the past year alone. The donations from local community members and organizations have been instrumental in the growth of the greenhouse plans. Farm Bureau Co-op donated $10,000; Jay County Solid Waste District pitched in $8,000; First National Bank and the Portland Lions Club donated $5,000; and the Portland Morning Optimist Club contributed $4,000. And several people have upped the ante with $1,000 apiece to help out the JCHS students.

And Lyons said individuals that could not donate money have contributed — or will contribute, when the time comes — manpower, supplies and equipment.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held today at JCHS to kick off the construction phase of the project.

The buildings should be constructed by the time cold weather hits in the fall, but Lyons won’t commit to a date when all the equipment will be in place, or what the final price tag might be.

“It will be hard to put an accurate figure on this until you’re done,” he said. “Right now, we’re just not going to spend any money we don’t have.”

JCHS agriculture teacher Matt Swartz will be in charge of the horticulture side of things once the greenhouse and the classroom are in place. Swartz has been very involved with the fund-raising efforts and getting the students excited about agriculture.

“He’s the guy that will be the main man in terms of horticulture and the greenhouse,” Lyons said. “We’re putting a lot of confidence in him and hanging our hat on a guy that’s been here for one year.”

“This is going to be the most state-of-the-art greenhouse in the state, easily,” Swartz said this morning. “Everything the students do is going to be completely scientific.”

Once the new greenhouse is up and running, students will reap the benefits of all the generosity.

“The goal is to have as many students involved with hands-on activities and the problem solving approach as possible,” Lyons said of when students are finally working in the new facility. “I think a lot of these kids will have projects they can do (at the new greenhouse) and then they can take home. Hopefully, we can create some pride in the students and this will make improvements without the school having to spend an arm and a leg.”[[In-content Ad]]