Midway Elementary School's 5th grade science teacher, Kim Walter, has been awarded a $5000 grant from Ag South to fund the construction materials and accessories for a new greenhouse. This generous grant will be used to significantly expand the school's agricultural program, providing students with hands-on learning experiences.
'Our school is in a small rural farming community, and it's important for our students to understand the significance of agriculture in their lives,' said Kim Walter. 'By expanding our chicken coop and adding the greenhouse, students will learn about different breeds of chickens, their traits, and how to care for them. They'll also gain valuable skills in marketing and selling the chickens we incubate and hatch.'
The Ag Program at Midway Elementary has already made impressive strides with the construction of a chicken coop and the creation of a garden. The new greenhouse will allow the school to grow plants year-round, including those that are difficult to cultivate in the garden. The produce grown will also be used to feed the chickens, creating a selfsustaining agricultural ecosystem.
Midway’s grant is one 43 awarded out of 187 applications, totaling nearly $200,000. AgSouth awarded grants to local non-profit organizations in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The AgSouth Growing Our Communities Grant's mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within our grant program to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and community.
“Our Growing Our Communities Grant is another way that AgSouth Farm Credit strives to enhance agriculture and rural communities in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.” said Vance Dalton, CEO, AgSouth Farm Credit, “These grants help provide project funding for many great organizations across our territory.”
The greenhouse project was scheduled to begin on January 1, 2025, and aims to be completed by August 17, 2025. The project is meant to enhance the educational experience for students, teaching them where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.
For more information about Midway Elementary School and its Ag Program, please visit our Facebook Page https://www.facebook. com/MidwayElementary or contact Kim Walter at [email protected].
