Students at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies are gearing up for their annual poinsettia sale.
Students in the Agricultural Education program at The Center work together each year to grow the holiday plants. The program’s three pathways—BioSystems, Environmental and Natural Resources, and Veterinary Science—use the proceeds from the sale to support The Center’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter and its activities throughout the year.
“We start the poinsettias from rooted cuttings the first week of August,” said Agricultural and Bio-Systems Engineering teacher Kevin Sox. “Our FFA student officers come in before the school year begins to plant the poinsettias in the greenhouse. During the fall semester, our first-year Ag Science students care for and grow the poinsettias. They must be pinched to create lateral branching, watered, fertilized, and spaced out. These lessons are reinforced during the plant science unit in the Ag Science course, providing a hands-on, real-world project for the students.”
The poinsettias will be on sale Monday, December 8, through Wednesday, December 10, or until sold out. Community members may purchase red, pink, white, or speckled poinsettias at The Center greenhouse, 916 Mount Vernon Church Road in Chapin. The greenhouse will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Plants are available in 6.5-inch pots ($15) and 8.5-inch pots ($25), each wrapped in decorative foil and topped with a handmade bow. As part of the project, students also learn to tie bows and wrap the plants to create a florist-quality presentation.
Customers are encouraged to pay with cash or check made payable to The Center. For larger orders, contact Kevin Sox at [email protected]
