Within the past year, the Agricultural Science Department has expanded their program. In early June of 2019, the “World Famous” Manchester Chicken Broil and their committee decided to donate and assign some of their funds to building a pole barn for Mr. Randy Smith, the Zoology, Botany, and Science teacher and head of the Ag Science Department.

Coval Construction started their work in mid-September, working to mid-October, with just the electrical left to be installed this winter. The barn will be mostly operational mid-Winter, early-Spring, just in time for the Botany Class’ Plant and Flower Sale.

This expansion is directly related to the Zoology Broiler Chicken project, where students receive over 50 chicks in the fall, and learn how to care for these chickens as they grow. For roughly 10 weeks, students feed and water, clean pens, weigh the birds, and analyze and compare the numbers to industry averages.

As of now, the chicks are currently housed in the Greenhouse, right to the west of the JR/SR High school. The barn that was built will then house the chicks, while providing storage space for both the Zoology and Biology classes.