The annual FFA Spring Plant Sale at Clinton High School will be Thursday, April 27, and Friday, April 28, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The sale features ornamental plants, vegetable starts and hanging baskets, and will be held in the CHS greenhouse, on the north side of the school, 1106 S. 2nd, Clinton, Mo 64735.
Cucumber, green beans, tomatoes and pepper plant starts, including jalapeño, green and banana peppers, will be available, according to agricultural science teacher Jessie Miller. Many of the plants are shipped to the greenhouse as seedlings from a supplier, Miller said.
“We also start seeds in our germination table for the sale,” Miller said. “Most of the seeds we start are vegetables and fruit.”
Ornamentals include geranium, impatience, coleus, zinnias and begonias,. The sale is very popular, so gardeners are advised to arrive early for the best selection. The hanging baskets make popular Mother’s Day gifts, and sell fast.
A Greenhouse class cares for the building and the plants, Miller said, maintaining the seedlings that come in, and propagating and growing plants. Proceeds from the sale go to maintaining the greenhouse, and provide funds for the school’s FFA chapter field trips and contests.
The next big project for the FFA program is a school farm, where students will get hands-on experience raising livestock. The red barn was put up last year, Miller said, and a water line installed this month.
“The current plan is to have animals on the property within the next two weeks, most likely calves,” Miller said. “Students will be able to show the animals they raise, and sell them at the Henry County Steer and Ham Sale, boosting our students’ Supervised Agricultural Experience.”
There are also plans to build a coop to house laying chickens, and provide eggs to other programs in the district.
To help with start-up costs for the farm, the Clinton School District received generous donations from local businesses, organizations and individuals, as well as grants, Miller said. Burns McDonnell donated the metal fence, which was installed by Smith Fencing.
