“Premier leadership, personal growth and career success” is the FFA goal.

With our FFA greenhouse, this goal is put to heart. When you walk down the small gravel hill into our greenhouse doors, you don’t just notice the eye-catching pansies and geraniums; you should notice the unmistakable homey feeling in the humid atmosphere. Logan county FFA isn’t just sprouting and raising Boston Ferns, we’re raising responsible young adults into our community’s future leaders and heroes.

“Premier leadership, personal growth and career success” is put in focus in our students through ways that interest our school and community as well.

Monday through Friday, 8-3, and Saturdays, 9-1, anyone from the neighborhood and county of Logan that’s hungry for some freshly grown greens can come in and purchase all their needs for a healthy home garden. $10 hanging baskets in numerous varieties of flowers and $1 dollar 4-packs of your favorite vegetable plants are just as available as the welcoming fellowship you'll have with our students and advisors while you’re shopping around our greenhouse. Families from all over the Russellville/Logan county district come to bring home a little bit of our success in a 4-inch pot. Price negotiation is common and convenient for our customers. We’re always looking to help and even spread a little love to the kids by making sure they don't leave with out their choice of a free pansy or geranium.

“I feel like working at the green house teaches us respect that we apply when talking to customers and it changes their perspective on our FFA chapter and our greenhouse,” says 11th grade student Aaron Johnson on his opinion of how the community sees our FFA because of the greenhouse.

When most people think of a greenhouse class, all that comes to mind, more than likely, is books and power points and hardcore plant studying. I'm sure no one imagines fun trips and interaction with the community and fellowship with FFA members. Students are given opportunity to learn valuable skills in business, greenhouse technology and plant science. Our program also allows students to go on trips, landscape and improve public speaking skills in this class by practicing speeches and proficiencies. Teachers like, Mr. Brian Estes, influence and lead the students everyday in class, sculpting them into our communities future leaders.

“A typical day in the greenhouse usually starts off with a great amount of customers to help. We also handle money and make sure that all of our customers are satisfied. By working in the greenhouse I have learned how to manage money better, communication skills and a lot more about flowers and the proper care for them,” states 11th grader, greenhouse student, Kelsey Blick.

The classroom environment is as influential as the humid atmosphere that swallows you up as you step foot into our greenhouses, but it’s the students that are the heart of the community, school and classroom.

Each and every student you see pass into that greenhouse comes out as a new germinated seed, ready to be planted and grown healthier for the future. It's more than just a bunch of kids running a greenhouse every weekend to pass a class, its opportunities for young adults to sprout up new leadership and public skills that will help them progress in areas such as communication and business skills.

“Working one-on-one with the customers in the greenhouse has benefited me by developing my people skills and being able to assist someone as they need help. I have learned how to answer those ‘planting’ questions everybody has. I have been able to meet and reunite with those

from all over the community,” said 11th grade Greenhouse II student, Caleb Speck.

Working one-on-one with customers gives students the perfect chance to improve social skills they can use for future reference in their work force as adults. Morals like good manners, honesty and courtesy are built almost everyday as a student in the Greenhouse classes.

“Premier leadership, personal growth, and career success” is the goal of the FFA not only in Logan County but all across the nation. It seems impossible to fathom that one class at little ole Logan County High School can be life changing but in the long run it’s worth every sprout and blossom. Through the greenhouses, the students achieve all three aspects of this goal.

-Addie Baldwin and Caroline Milam