Lexington, SC 04/18/2024 - The Lakeside Middle School FFA (Future Farmers of America) program in Lexington is only two years old, but the students are already making a major impact in their community. As you may know, FFA is the top school-based youth leadership development organization in the country, transforming the lives of middle and high school students through a unique combination of classroom curriculum, experiential work-based learning, and leadership/life skills.
The land around Lakeside Middle School is full of red clay and rocks (not great for gardening), so the students and advisers decided to create 200 raised beds to grow all kinds of produce, including arugula, okra and basil – and they grow, harvest and prep everything for a local restaurant to use. Summer break is coming up, and the students plan to continue their work even when they’re not in school!
In addition to their gardening efforts, the students are raising chickens. They tend to the birds and also incorporate them in the garden since chicken manure can be used for fertilizer. The chickens even have their own Instagram profile!
The co-teachers of the FFA program say many of their students rarely step on grass or dirt since they live in a concrete jungle, so they’ve seen the hunger for agricultural education grow. There are 388 students currently enrolled in FFA at Lakeside MS – which is more than one-third of their entire student body – with even more students on the waitlist to participate.
