Harlan County High School opened a new chapter for its agriculture program on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “The Finley & Michael Howard Agricultural Learning Center” on the campus of the high school next to U.S. 119.

Program speakers included Rayven Joseph (FFA member), Jace Howard (FFA chaplain), Gary Farmer (chairman of the Harlan County Board of Education), Brent Roark (Harlan County Schools superintendent), Austin Caudill (FFA president), T. Michael Howard (honoree and former superintendent) and Joseph Dempsey (HCHS agriculture instructor).

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, those in attendance were given an opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art greenhouse.

Howard and Roark both carried out the production of the greenhouse from the start of the project. The idea of having a greenhouse at Harlan County High School was brought about by Howard during his tenure as superintendent and finished by Roark. They both knew to have a successful agriculture program the school needed a greenhouse.

“Mr. Howard wanted to bring agriculture into our school,” Roark said.

“Harlan County with the coal industry going down the way it is, I think those type of things they learn in agriculture can help them in their life. There are other job opportunities out there in agriculture,” Michael Howard said.

Others, including Finley Howard (late father of Howard), the local Farm Bureau, county schools financial director Jody Gillam, private sector donations and grants from state government played a major role in the creation and production of the greenhouse.

Faculty and staff at Harlan County High School played an important role in this project as well, including teachers Rachel Mason, Ben Baker, Dempsey and HCHS Principal Edna Burkhart.

“I am very excited,” Burkhart said. “Our students have enjoyed many aspects of the agriculture program. It brings opportunity to students and to see the potential of what we can do for our county. The students have enjoyed exploring their roots of small garden families. I’m also excited academically for what this program will allow students to achieve, leading them to a postsecondary education and scholarship opportunities.”

“Career and technical education is about getting ready for the real world,” said Dempsey. “Horticulture work is a big industry. There are many things possible out there for students when it comes to careers in agriculture.”

This center will allow HCHS students to create their own brushstroke on the canvas of local agriculture, both now and in the years to come.

Dempsey discussed the FFA creed in his comments at the opening — “I believe in the future of agriculture with a faith born not of words but of deeds — achievements won by present and past generations: in the promise of better days through better ways…”