By: Sophia Volpe

Every morning when walking into the school from the parking deck to the iron gates, students pass another building. This building is home to numerous flowers, vegetables, and even tree sprouts that Apex High School students have been growing and caring for all year. Students in Mr. Clark’s Horticulture 1 and 2 take care of the greenhouse. But how can the rest of the student body help and support the agriculture program as well?

During the spring semester, Mr. Clark’s horticulture classes as well as the club headed by Mr. Clark, Future Farmers of America (FFA), hosts a Plant Sale. Plant Sale is a pivotal part of the FFA and agriculture program, creating funding and furthering opportunities for students involved in Agriculture here at Apex. 

The agricultural program is continuously growing. The Future Farmers of America club is just one example of how Mr. Clark is introducing students to the wide variety of agricultural opportunities for students to partake in. 

When asked about the impact FFA is having on his students, Mr. Clark shared that, “Students get to develop their leadership skills, get to grow as people, and develop career success skills through various different competitions and programs. When students go off to whatever they do after high school, FFA is a great program to be involved in for connections, even if you are not going into the agriculture field.”

Mr. Clark told Legacy, “The annual Spring Plant Sale is the primary way we get funding for our program through selling plants the students have actually grown. The money raised in the plant sale goes back to the program to get materials and pays for field trips.”

This year’s Plant Sale will be held April 12-14th. Students and the larger Apex community are invited to purchase mostly ornamental annual plants during both lunches as well as after school until 5 pm on all three days.