Along with many of the changes going on at Powell High School, the Agriculture department is making some as well.

The barn that is to be built is intended to not only improve the FFA program but the Agriculture department and community as a whole.

FFA Adviser Mr. Bryce Meyer, along with the Superintendent Mr. Jay Curtis and others have worked on a design for the barn that will be in the budget they have and sufficient for the activities that may be staged there.

The barn will be beneficial to the school in many ways. It will improve how students in the agriculture program will learn. For example, the Advanced Ag class is learning how to read brands and other ways you are able to identify livestock. Instead of watching videos about how this is done, students will be able to go out to the barn to watch and experience how brand inspectors do their job.

There also are plans for a greenhouse to improve the Agronomy CDE (Career Development Event) team in the Powell-Shoshone FFA. The Special Education Department will also have access to the greenhouse to give those students a new experience. Not only will the barn improve learning, but the students will also have an opportunity to help build the barn. The contractors that will be hired will basically only build the “bones” of the building. They will build the barn and all of the rooms; however, the pens, wash racks and any other thing that may be needed will be built by students in the ag program and the members of the FFA. If Mr.Meyer and Mr. Curtis decide to take the suggestions they will go back to the design and make the changes. After this is done the plan will go to bid.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Article author Gracie McLain is Powell-Shoshone FFA chapter’s vice president.