The School Farm

FLEMINGSBURG -- Fifty acres of land has been leased at Industrial Park II in Fleming County for the use of a school farm, according to a press release issued by Fleming County Schools.
The Fleming County Board of Education recently leased the property from the Fleming County Industrial Park Board. It will benefit the agricultural department at Fleming County High School.

"Fleming County students are fortunate to have continued community support year after years," agriculture teacher Tonya Phillips said. "This confirms the fact the community believes in and sees the value of the agriculture program at FCHS."

Phillips, along with other agriculture teachers Bobby Pease and Anne Clark, are pleased with the opportunities the farm will provide their students. "We appreciate the endless possibilities this will open for the agriculture student body, which involves over 300 students each year,"
Pease said. "Students will have the opportunity to apply basic skills learned in the agriculture classrooms and develop a sense of ownership in the farm."

Mary Jane Pettit with Farm Credit and Gerald Vice with Cargill were instrumental in securing grant funds to start work on developing the land, according to the release. Contact Melinda Charles at melinda.charles@lee.net or call 606-564-9091, ext. 274.
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I love news like this! When I started at Blanchester in August 1971, one of the first things I did was try to cultivate fender high soybeans with the chapter's D-15 Series IV and 4 row cultivators. I found that I had inherited a small farm and a line of farm machinery and a large debt.

I had no sooner than taken the job when the cafeteria supervirsor introduced herself and informed me the chapter owed the milk shake fund $1000! I soon found out the chapter owed more than it was worth.

Still, I loved farming and saw it as an avenue to produce income and teach students. That is what it become. In a few years, we had 80 acres and produced more income than the school paid me in salary. I taught, I farmed, I managed a farm, I pulled tractors. I don't know how I did it all.

By the grace of God no one ever got hurt and students flourished and took pride in our farm. It was a great source of pride. I can never thank all the people who helped make it happen, enough. Blanchester is now a successful two teacher department thanks to the work of many going back to Mr. Barnhart in 1924. That discussion came up during the barn quilt tour this weekend with a local historian in Blanchester.

Ah, the memories! Way to go you good folks in Flemingsburg, Kentucky!

Ed Winkle