By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A one-of-a-kind agriscience school celebrated a groundbreaking last week that brought agriculture officials and state educational leaders together to literally help plant the first “seeds” of the new facility.

The Locust Trace AgriScience Farm will be the first school of its kind in Kentucky dedicated to ag studies, ranging from equine studies to land and environmental science. It will initially be a part of the Eastside Career and Technical Center’s (CTC) agriculture program. Eastside is one of two CTCs in Fayette County.

The campus will cover 82 acres of prime land in the heart of horse country, which came at no cost by way of the federal government. The land was once part of Lexington’s Federal Correctional Institute and became available through a federal public benefit program, in which applications were taken from the community stating proposals for its use.

Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) initially submitted a different proposal for the land for a bus parking garage, but upon hearing of the desire to expand the ag program at the Eastside CTC by Principal Joe Norman and agriscience teacher Carrie Davis, a new proposal was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. – and the request was granted.

James Hardin, FCPS coordinator of career and technical education programs, said the groundbreaking signaled great things for the state and beyond concerning agriculture education.

“It’s a landmark day not only for Fayette County, but also for our nation. This is a program that is going to be different than anything out there in this nation,” he said.

“We will be open by August 2011. We’ll have five different program areas initially: plant and land science, environmental sciences, ag power mechanics, equine science and large and small animal science.”

Hardin also said the farm will be home to a nonprofit veterinarian clinic allowing students to have exposure to surgical and examination procedures on large and small animals, in preparation for careers in vet medicine.

Partnerships will be vital to the school, including those with state universities whose students will be coming to the school to help conduct research and manage livestock on the premises.
The school will be unique in another aspect, in that it will ultimately be a Net Zero Energy facility, which means it will be built with “green” technology to allow it to operate without incurring any energy costs.

Matt London, Fayette County FFA Alumni president, presided over the ceremony marking the beginning of construction and said it was a dream come true for many.

“I believe that if you took a poll in agriculture education across the country and ask what a dream would be, it would be for a facility such as this to be dedicated to agriculture education for high school students. I believe we are taking a large step toward a dream being a reality,” he told the crowd.

Not only will students study agriculture, but the school will contain a classroom facility for traditional math, science and English classes, providing a complete education for those attending. Kristen Arvin, a former Eastside FFA president, explained what the FFA motto stands for and how it will connect to the school.

“Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve; the motto represents Locust Trace’s philosophy, principles and mission statement,” she said. “The students here will learn the concepts in the classroom and then apply them to real life, agriculture experiences here at these facilities.”

The program culminated with a ceremonial seed planting by local school board officials behind a horse-drawn plow.

Autry Graham, the recreational committee chair for the Eastside FFA chapter, participated in the ceremony and said the school will hold much promise for her and students like her.

“I’ve been interested in becoming an equine veterinarian and I thought it would be a great opportunity to come here and learn and see if that’s truly what I want to do in the future,” she said. “Having Locust Trace open with an equine program would be an amazing opportunity to make connections with people for my future.”
Graham wasn’t the only one thinking about the future of agriculture that day. Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm Bureau president, said the facility will not only give students an education in agriculture but also a sense of security in learning what will be necessary to grow the food the nation needs.

“The food industry is the backbone of the economy here in Kentucky and all across the nation, and agriculture is what makes that happen, that’s what feeds us,” he said. “We have to train our young folks in that area.

“I’m impressed when I see the youth invigorated when they think about the opportunity to do this. It gives them a sense of security. They can look at this and say ‘I can do this.’”

Haney also said the school will enjoy a good push to get started, with so much community support. The day was about opportunities and the future of agriculture in the state.

“A lot of people don’t understand or don’t realize the impact the agriculture industry has right here in Kentucky,” said Hardin. “A lot of people think the farming industry is going away and that is just not the case.

“If anything, we have to make them smarter in agriculture practices, so this is an opportunity for us to refocus on this industry and show that many career opportunities are available within this community. We just have to get the students prepared for it.”