Students ready for FFA plant sale

Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Plant science students Melanie Capehart, Dalton Greene and Haylee Snawder cared for plants in the high school greenhouse last week. FFA members and plant science students have been working hard and getting their hands dirty in the greenhouse to get hundreds of plants ready for the annual FFA plant sale. The sale will be held in the Siloam Springs High School Greenhouse on April 30 through May 4.
Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Plant science students Melanie Capehart, Dalton Greene and Haylee Snawder cared for plants in the high school greenhouse last week. FFA members and plant science students have been working hard and getting their hands dirty in the greenhouse to get hundreds of plants ready for the annual FFA plant sale. The sale will be held in the Siloam Springs High School Greenhouse on April 30 through May 4.

Siloam Springs FFA members and plant science students have been getting their hands dirty in the greenhouse to get hundreds of plants ready for the annual FFA plant sale.

The sale will be held at the high school greenhouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the week of April 30 through May 4.

The plant sale is a great chance for community members to see the projects they have been working on throughout the year and to buy healthy, high quality plants, according to teacher Gene Collins.

Students grew hundreds of flowers, vegetables, herbs, ferns and trees for the annual sale. Most of the plants were raised from seeds as part of the plant science I and II courses.

In a group interview, plant science students explained that plants grown in the school greenhouse are strong and healthy because they haven't been exposed to shipping or outdoor temperature extremes. Students also work hard and take pride in producing the best products they can, they said.

Each student is assigned one type of plant to care for, which teaches them responsibility, said senior Emily Lin. In addition to caring for the plant, they are also required to do a research project and write a paper about the plant, said senior Dalton Greene. From there, students become responsible for an entire table of plants, he said.

FFA officers and a select group of plant science students will be responsible for running the sale. All of the funds raised during the sale will go toward FFA activities throughout the year such as trips to conventions and leadership conferences, competitions such as the Arkansas/Oklahoma State Fair, and membership activities.

Community members can purchase plants at the school greenhouse behind the Siloam Springs High School.

General News on 04/11/2018