A red ribbon draped across the gate to the Clinton High School farm was cut Friday by Caroline Wagoner, a senior who is president of the CHS chapter of FFA, to officially open the farm.
Caroline also announced its official name — the Cardinal Pride Farm and Educational Facility — which reflects the educational purpose of the farm, to provide students with hands-on experience raising livestock.
Tom Smith, who donated his bobcat and fencing expertise to enclose the pastures around the farm’s red barn, said that plans at first called for the farm to be fenced with barbed wire. When he saw that the farm was adjacent to the school’s front parking lot, he called Brett Williams in Kansas City and told him they were going to need something stronger.
Brett is in charge of construction projects for Burns and McDonnell engineering firm, which had pledged funds to pay for the barbed wire. Brett immediately agreed to pay for the heavier, more expensive sucker rod, Tom said.
Wagoner also welcomed the three dozen students, family members and school staff who gathered for the ribbon-cutting on behalf of Jessie Rager Miller, the agriculture science teacher, who had lost her voice leading a group in the CHS Homecoming parade earlier that day.
Superintendent Brian Wishard and Assistant Superintendent Christian Meier attended the brief ceremony. Afterwards, Caleb George presented a check for $1,000 to Caroline for the FFA and the farm on behalf of Clinton Masonic Lodge #548.
Caroline said future farm projects in need of funding include installing electricity and putting in an automatic watering system in the first pasture to keep the cattle watered.
Building the barn, fencing the corrals and putting a water line out to the farm were part of the first phase.
“It is still a work in progress, but we feel it is finally heading in a more progressive direction,” Caroline said.
The farm is now home to four heifers and a donkey, Eeyore, who is the farm mascot, she said. Three of the heifers will be bred, Caroline said, and the fourth butchered and sold for meat. The FAA members would also like to raise chickens to produce eggs.
Caroline thanked all the donors who contributed to the project: American Family Insurance, Hawthorn Bank, Reliance Pork, Oak Star Bank, Henry County Sale Committee and HC Ag Committee, HC Cattlemen’s Association, Rather Be Farms, Christa Atchison, Twin Ridge Bulls and Hickory Hollow Resort.
She thanked Tom Smith with Smith Fencing and Brett Williams of Burns and McDonnell for their generous donations of fencing material and labor. Smith said the process of welding and installing the fence went really well.
“We hope it helps the school and the community,” he said.
