LOUDONVILLE — Jared Canfield, the former president of Loudonville’s Future Farmers of America alumni group, said he remembers the first steps toward the Loudonville-Perrysville Schools’ new greenhouse project over four years ago.
Canfield described the old greenhouse, built in the mid-1980s, as “dilapidated.”
He started by calling greenhouse builders to see if completing such a project for a school district would be feasible. He served as the president of the FFA alumni group for most of the project.
On Monday, Canfield gathered with current FFA students, teachers, school board members and alumni to celebrate the newly-completed greenhouse with a community open house.
“I can’t be more happy seeing it to fruition,” Canfield said. “It feels amazing.”
The district’s board of education put the project out to bid in April 2023, according to previous reporting from Source Media.
But, Canfield said the project got off the ground when Supt. Jennifer Allerding took the helm at Loudonville-Perrysville Schools last August.
“As soon as Jen (Allerding) walked in, she was like, ‘What would it take to do this project?'” Canfield said. “Within a year, we’re standing in the building.”
In November, the board passed a resolution to award Yoder Produce Inc. a base bid contract for $473,899.46.
The FFA alumni group raised $215,000 to put toward the project. It also received contributions from individual donors, along with the following organizations:
- The Mohican Area Community Fund
- Loudonville-Perrysville School Foundation
- Ashland County Community Foundation
- Hugo and Mabel Young Foundation
Allerding said a permanent sign is yet to be installed, and will recognize the organizations that helped fund the project.
For future use
Kendra Carnegie has taught agro-science at Loudonville-Perrysville Schools. She’s been teaching for 34 years, and one of her first years teaching was when the district’s old greenhouse was constructed in the mid-1980s.
Carnegie said last year, 82 eighth through 12th grade students took part in the district’s agriculture education program. Each of those students will get use out of the greenhouse, Carnegie said.
“The main class is greenhouse management, but all of them will use it,” Carnegie said.
Allerding, the superintendent, said she views it as important to offer opportunities for all students at Loudonville-Perrysville Schools. She added the new greenhouse will offer a resource for students to learn.
Carnegie and Canfield agreed. Each said they looked forward to students having hands-on learning opportunities.
Canfield said support for agriculture education is important because it shows students where their food comes from and allows them to “put their hands in the soil.”
Carnegie created several posters that were displayed around the greenhouse Monday.
They outlined where labs would go and what types of activities would be happening in different areas. The greenhouse will also serve as a classroom for students, and had a whiteboard sitting in it.
For Carnegie, after seeing the first greenhouse built, and then the need for the new one, shared how surreal it felt for the project to be complete.
“It’s like having a baby,” Carnegie said. “You know it’s coming, but until it does, it just doesn’t seem real.”
(Below are photos of the completed greenhouse.)
