Just before the start of Friday’s football game, Columbia High School FFA members and contributors cut the ribbon on the brand new greenhouse.

Carrie Koester, Columbia’s FFA adviser, said the greenhouse can be seen as an outreach to the community.

“I really want to show the importance to be green and the importance of the use of local plants and fruit and vegetables,” she said.

Three different classes will use the greenhouse regularly, including the horticulture class, introduction to agriculture class and biological applications in agriculture plant science/ag science class.

“Students will perform experiments, learn how to maintain and manage a greenhouse,” Koester said.

These students will determine varieties of plants to grow, learn how to budget for the greenhouse and help facilitators throughout the school year.

Koester said she feels like the greenhouse was decided on, funded and constructed “in a blink of an eye.”

This is the first time Columbia has ever had a greenhouse, and Koester has worked with Waterloo greenhouse contributors to ensure the success of the Columbia one.

The students who will be using the greenhouse are excited for the innovation and new aspects of an education the greenhouse will add.

“The greenhouse demonstrates how a variety of high school students can come together for the same cause,” Liz Klein, the president of Columbia’s FFA, said. “We are all in classes and FFA to help the future of our community understand how agriculture is in everything we do.”

More from Koester’s agriculture students:

Taylor Allen – “The greenhouse is a new and fresh idea that everyone can enjoy it’s something that has not been done in Columbia, so I think it’s something a lot of people will pay attention to. It’s a good way to show off our schools interest in the horticulture industry and also shows people we aren’t just interested in sports, but something a little different.”

Evan Vogt – “The greenhouse is an opportunity for great learning experiences and achieving knowledge at the high school level.”

Gabi Dowell – “I am so excited to see this greenhouse go up. It has given me a lot of faith in the Columbia FFA. I know this will open up many new opportunities for me and everyone else.”

Alyssa Huch – “The greenhouse to me means that we are growing as a community and helping others. It not only helping us in school, but also is helping out Columbia residents.”