Grant will Improve FFA Farm
The local FFA alumni group Friends of the Central Lyon FFA recently applied for and received a Lyon County Riverboat Foundation grant of $35,000 that will be used to give the FFA farm much needed improvements.
The Central Lyon FFA farm was created to be an integral part of the learning process for all students in the agricultural education program. Our farm is in need of a renovation in order for students to learn about modern day agriculture. The key to the farm continuing to be part of the process is updating the grounds and buildings in order for students to safely engage in hands-on real world learning experiences.
As of the 2020-2021 school year 48% of the agriculture education students at Central Lyon do not live on a farm. Our desire is to utilize grant and matching funds to update the farm to provide an environment that would not only provide an opportunity for students not raised on a farm, but also to improve the knowledge and hands-on experience for those that have grown up farming. Our community and county rely on agriculture for economic development. The farm would play a major role in continuing future interests in farming and agriculture as a career which is vital to our community.
We plan to utilize the funds to assist in completion of the existing building. In order to create a safe environment for students to learn and a healthy growing indoor environment for livestock, we need to install an interior exhaust fan and insulate the entire building. The funds will also help us acquire tools needed to assist in raising the current livestock on-site. This includes installation of a secure continuous fence on the exterior of the property line. This will give the livestock a place to graze safely without them escaping and in the way of traffic, creating less liability for the organization. We currently have an inoperable greenhouse structure and ground, we need to purchase crushed concert and fill dirt for a leveled driveway. To ensure all of these projects will withstand time we would like to purchase a security camera for the property. This will not only be an added layer of safety but will also monitor livestock indoors during calving season.
This project is going to be take two weeks if everything goes smoothly and the weather is agreeable. The fence will be set up during 2021 May term and the students will be setting it up in Mr. Rockhill's farm management course. They hope to get everything completed in the grant but there are factors like weather, time, and work force. Mr. Rockhill's main driving point for the grant is to complete projects they have going on with various entities that his program offers. The main goal with the grant is to continue to grow the FFA farm and tools so that the program offers better education for all students in the agriculture classes. We want to create an equitable opportunity for all agriculture students, including the 48% not living on a farm, and to have a space to work with their livestock for the county fair. Ultimately, we want to create a space for the community to learn about agriculture and how it impacts the economy of our country.