Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr stands in the Clarke Central High School greenhouse on Feb. 15. The FFA program at CCHS has prepared for their plant sale occurring between March 30 and April 2 by overseeing the growth and development of the plants. “I wanted to make an impact throughout the community of Athens by getting our name out there and what a quicker way than somebody walking by somebody’s front door and saying ‘Oh, where’d you get those beautiful flowers?’ ‘They came from (CCHS’s agricultural) program,’” Carr said. Photo by Maya Clement
The CCHS FFA chapter will host a plant sale between March 30 and April 2 to raise money for the FFA program and bring joy to the community.
Clarke Central High School and Athens community members are invited to attend the CCHS FFA chapter’s plant sale between March 30 and April 2. The plant sale will occur at the CCHS greenhouse and there will be almost 80 different types of plants sold ranging from flowering plants to vegetables to herbs.
An infographic displays the dates and times of the Clarke Central High School FFA chapter’s plant sale. To prepare for the plant sale, FFA member and junior Mckinzie Johnson, Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr’s work-based learning student, has been working with the new plants. “I’ve been planting the plants that come in the mail and planting different seeds and just getting that stuff ready,” Johnson said. “I really do (enjoy working in the greenhouse). It’s a nice environment in there.” Infographic by Maya Clement
To prepare for the plant sale, students in the FFA chapter and Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr’s agriculture classes have been planting and growing the plants that will be sold.
“Getting students involved in this process is everything. It’s all about a learning experience. It’s pretty cool for them to step foot into that kind of (greenhouse) climate that is so stable, that can house plants grown in so called summer throughout winter like they’re opposite seasons,” Carr said. “Giving students the opportunity, because this is a very large industry that supplies a lot of Georgia’s food as well as the nation’s food and for them to understand how things are grown and work inside of a climate controlled building such as that greenhouse, is pretty cool.”
“If one thing I can do is to bring joy to someone and put a smile on their face, what easier way to do that (than) through plants?”
— Levi Carr,
Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and FFA adviser
The FFA chapter plans on using the money raised from the plant sale to benefit the program and allow the members to participate in more FFA opportunities. To FFA member and junior Mckinzie Johnson, Carr’s work-based learning student, the plant sale is also a great way for the community to become more educated about the environment.
Career, Technical and Agricultural Education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr stands in the Clarke Central High School greenhouse on Feb. 15, displaying a plant being sold at the FFA plant sale. One reason Carr decided to host a plant sale was to share what the FFA chapter does with people in the Athens community. “I feel like (the FFA chapter has) a great audience here on the school level reaching out to students as well as teachers,” Carr said. “We are looking to expand that throughout our community in some sort of capacity, with publications to gain a wider audience throughout our community. We just want to make sure that Clarke Central’s hard work is being advocated throughout the community.” Photo by Maya Clement
“I hope (that the customers) learn to love plants as much as we do and have a little plant family,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, they can learn to maybe respect the environment a bit more, get plants and help be sustainable.”
In addition to raising money, Carr believes that the purpose of the plant sale is to ensure that people throughout the Athens community are able to experience the joy plants can bring them.
“A year ago when we were locked at our houses, sheltering in place, a lot of people resorted back to plants for emotional health and social help. Plants have a variety of colors, natural colors that bring a lot of joy to people,” Carr said. “If one thing I can do is to bring joy to someone and put a smile on their face, what easier way to do that (than) through plants? It just makes everyone happy, excited and creates a good mood for all.”
