The latest funding towards the FFA Community Greenhouse Project came from the Urban Conservation Assistance Program Special Project Grant in the amount of $14,460.00. This funding brought the project to $48,106.51, or 64% of the way to their goal of $75,000. The remaining funds of $75,000 will come from Deshler Public Schools.
A community need with a cost-share development project, such as the greenhouse, will fill a void in the community of Deshler. Group plans will involve community assistance in planting and produce, and was found to be technically feasible and environmentally acceptable on Tuesday night, March 14th, 2023, at the Little Blue NRD meeting. The project was presented to the board by secondary principal Dana Epley and FFA alumni officer Laura Tuma.
This grant, coupled with already received grants and donations, has the group hoping to break ground as early as the Fall of 2023 on their 30' x 60' structure. The greenhouse will include an automated shade system, ventilation, portable benches, and an overhead irrigation system, as well as on onsite controller training. Thank you to the following grants and donations that are helping to make this dream a reality for the community of Deshler:
- Nebraska Community Foundation State Grant: $7,500
- Nebraska Community Foundation Deshler Grant: $7,500
- Nebraska FFA Foundation: $2,500
- Land O Lakes Grant: $1,000
- Aurora Coop Donation: $1,000
- Deshler District Foundation: $5,351.33
- Cooper Foundation Grant: $1,000
- South Central Irrigation Donation: $2,500
- Prime Cuts of Meat Raffle: $2,050
- Urban Conservation Assistance Program Special Project Grant: $14,460
- Donations from local farmers (i.e., gifts of grain, private donations) totaling $3,245.18.
If you would like to donate to this cause, there are several options available, including grain donations for a tax write off, or simply filling out a donation form (shown here) to help support our FFA students and sponsor as they continue to plan for their largest project to date.
The Deshler FFA chapter became an organized chapter in 2017 at DPS under Ron Rickstrew. Rickstrew remained the sponsor until the fall of 2022, when Juliana Kroeger took the reins, and now has a membership close to 70 students in the middle and high school. The group has qualified 25 students for the State FFA convention next month, and is excited to announce they have eight students who will be attending the National FFA Convention in November, with the potential of more after state convention wraps up.
The chapter is also excited to have their first American Degree winner this year: Lacey Schmidt, 2022 DPS graduate. Schmidt will be receiving this honor at the National Convention this fall. Lacey is a freshman at Colby Community College, where she is majoring in Ag Econ and AgriBusiness, and the daughter of Andy and Ellen Schmidt. Congratulations to Lacey!