Fusing Agriculture + Innovation

Within the walls of Eastern Hancock, an important program steadily produces students and graduates who impact the future in areas of agriculture, business concepts and innovation. Ms. Sarah Williams, who has been with the district for 14 years, teaches Horticulture to students of all ages and abilities within the Eastern Hancock district. The Horticulture program cultivates valued experiences for students of all ages by providing unique experiences with technology, nature and agriculture concepts, as well as career exploration.

The greenhouse of Eastern Hancock, which serves as a hands-on lab and classroom for the Horticulture and Agriculture programs, is maintained and cared for by Royal students. The students are able to grow plants with advanced hydroponic technology made possible by the Eastern Hancock Education Foundation. The technologies utilized ensure students learn with advanced tools and training. As mentioned by Hayden Gray, “It’s nice having an automatic system and a retractable roof; and it’s nice you don’t have to touch anything.”

In addition to technology, the class learns about the environmental impact of their work in a variety of ways. For example, the Horticulture class typically uses scouting and removal as a key strategy to keep pests and insects away from the plants. In addition, they explore the concepts of having native and non-native plants in the community. Brenna Garrison says that she enjoys “The wide variety of plants that you can grow. It gives people a view of plants that are found around Indiana.”

Because Eastern Hancock Schools are one campus, students of all skills, ages and abilities are involved in the EH Horticulture programs throughout the year. While high school labs and work happens in the greenhouse, students in the elementary are involved in helping plant products for sale to the community and also propagate plants to increase volume of production.

“Horticulture is a class that allows every student to learn a skill,” said Ms. Williams. “Regardless of their plans, the skills learned apply to many areas of life. We also involved all ages and abilities in our horticulture experiences. Every student can be involved and contribute in a meaningful way.”

After learning the biology concepts of horticulture and growth, students do a deep dive into the business aspects of the program. Plants are produced, priced, inspected for quality, and sold to the public each spring. The experiences build a strong foundation for future careers in Agriculture, Business, Horticulture, and Logistics.