Lexington, KY - The original proposal for the acreage on Leestown Road made available by the federal government called for a bus parking garage.
But Eastside Principal Joe Norman, along with James Hardin, coordinator of career and technical education programs in the Fayette County Public School (FCPS) system and Carrie Davis, an agriculture teacher at Eastside, had a better idea.
They made the pitch for the agriscience farm that has since developed into Locust Trace, complete with a classroom building where traditional subjects will be taught, along with just about every conceivable agriculture-related program area. Even the very ground itself will aid in the educational process, with studies in soil science and conservation.
It's a unique situation for students as they prepare for their futures, according to Norman.
"The students there will be able to enter into any of the careers involved in agriculture, but we have a large interest in veterinarian medicine. We also have some students interested in the equine programs and some interested primarily in the horticulture program," he said. "It is a wide variety, and with the programs we have and the subject areas we are covering, a student will have an extensive range of choices."
Norman noted that with the presence of academic classes at the school, students will be able to take those principles and see firsthand how to apply them in the real world.
Work has already begun on the academic building, which should be ready for use by this time next year, and the equine facilities are expected to be finished by October 2011.
But students aren't waiting on the buildings to get to work. Some have already been involved taking soil and water samples from the area and identifying plants that are growing on the property. Students have also been involved in the planning phase of the project, said Norman.
"Soil and water samples were taken last fall, last spring and right before school was out to see if what we are doing on the property will change anything," Norman said, referring to the school construction.
As with many educational projects, community involvement plays a role in how successful they will be, and Norman said there has been much interest from the local agriculture and educational sectors.
"We've had a lot of community support from small to large farms and the industry as a whole," said Norman. "The University of Kentucky has shown interest as well. We have visited many of their farms in the process of developing ours, and some of their professors have worked with our ag teacher and students."
Norman added that personnel from Kentucky State University have been to the school to help set up studies in aquaculture.
"I'm looking forward to an ongoing relationship with all the universities, because we encourage our students to further their education. Hopefully we can work out some dual credit agreements with those universities," he said.
As Locust Trace AgriScience Farm is readied for students, it should be noted that many of those will be coming to this school having had little or no agricultural background. But that is a benefit, said Norman, as new educational and career opportunities will be presented to them - ones they may not otherwise have discovered.
"This is opening new doors for the students - careers that are available to them that they never imagined before. It's amazing, the number of them that are excited about it," he said.