Garden City Community College will celebrate its new state-of-the-art Greenhouse with a ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m. May 9.
The greenhouse is a core component of GCCC’s upcoming Crop Production Technology program.
Located north of the tennis courts at GCCC, the 48’ x 84’ greenhouse is the centerpiece of the new Crop Production Technology program.
With this greenhouse, students will learn about crop scouting and nutrient management in a classroom setting and apply that knowledge in the lab by physically crop-scouting fields in a hands-on experience and an outside “land lab.”
This plot of land will allow students to collect and analyze data within the greenhouse and compare data to the outdoor plots.
Dr. Ryan Ruda, GCCC President, expressed his excitement about the new addition to campus.
“This greenhouse isn’t just about cultivating crops; it’s about nurturing future leaders in the agriculture industry. I am confident that this facility will serve as a catalyst for innovation, growth, and success for our students and the broader agricultural community in Southwest Kansas,” he said.
As part of GCCC’s Title III Hispanic Serving Institution STEM Grant, a new Crop Production Technology program is being developed. The program will allow year-round hands-on experiences for students to learn how crops are grown, maintained, and evaluated throughout the growing period – setting a strong foundation for the next generation to enter the agriculture workforce or production agriculture industry.
