Lyndon Institute Grant

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Created on Wednesday, 15 October 2014 13:22
Written by Cassandra Bernier

tomatoLYNDON- Lyndon Institite will be starting it's own diversifed agriculture program after recently being awarded a grant from the Agency of Education. The grant is totalled to $55,640 and with this grant, the school will also be able to combine certain classes, as well as paying for expenses.

 Lyndon Institute was once a farm school in 1910, when Theodore Vail organized the establisment, as well as supported it. It was the first agricutlutre school at the high school level in the state of Vermont.

The school has come a long ways from just a barn and creamery, which is how the school started when it was just an agriculture school.

Now with this grant, the school will be able to combine two of their classes; animal science and horticulture. The money will also be used to support the expenses for teacher salaries and equipment.

The new program will have many aspects to it, including anatomy, physiology, and disease relating to domestic animals. It will also focus on maple sugaring, pest control, landscaping, and the science of plants and soil.

"We have a number of students who still work on farms and forestry and a few kids who will go out and work in landscaping," Twiladawn Perry, Assisant head of Career and Technical Education said.

The school already has a gardening program that was started in 2009. That program produces things like vegetables for the school cafeteria to use year round. In key growing season, the greenhouse produces almost 200 pounds of produce.

The Diversifed Agriculture program is hoping to be able to provide students with skills and cerifications that will help them when they graduate high school.

Perry says, "They can earn certifications on running chainsaws and tractor safety. So then hopefully they will be employed when they leave high school. Unlike the program that was in place over a hundred years ago, male and females will be able to join the program."