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The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation is proud to announce that project Green Growth Gateway: Cultivating Futures at Buckeye Local Schools is the 2025 recipient of the Youth Pathways for Careers in Agriculture Grant. A total of $25,000 will be awarded to assist Buckeye Local School District in developing programming that will introduce and prepare students for careers within Ohio’s agriculture sector.

“Introducing students to and training them for careers in food, agricultural and environmental sciences is crucial to maintaining the strong and dependable food system that we all rely on today,” said Kelly Burns, executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. “By investing in programs like the Green Growth Gateway, even more students will be able to discover and get excited about the plentiful opportunities that await them in the realm of agriculture.”

Buckeye Local is pioneering a new standard in rural education innovation, merging physical infrastructure with curricular advancements to deepen students’ interest in agriculture and its extensive career options through the Green Growth Gateway program. The program aims to establish foundational pathways in agriculture, home economics, and general science. The project’s centerpiece is a greenhouse designed by students in partnership with local groups, like Jefferson County Farm Bureau and local businesses, to support a wide range of educational activities and accommodate year-round learning for various class sizes in eastern Ohio. 

Green Growth Gateway signifies a strategic shift in educational engagement by allowing students to grow fresh produce on-site for culinary experiments, in addition to enhancing the science and math curriculum by enabling hands-on experiments and data collection. Buckeye Local High School Ag Instructor Cameron Best will oversee the project. 

“Buckeye Local Schools are very appreciative of the grant support from the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation that will provide agricultural opportunities to the students of Buckeye Local Schools for many years to come,” said Coy Sudvary, superintendent of Buckeye Local School District. “We are currently in year one of building our agricultural education program at Buckeye Local, and this grant will support the sustainability of our program moving forward. We appreciate the support of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation and the Jefferson County Farm Bureau as we continue to build our program at Buckeye Local.” 

The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation is committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of farmers, ensuring the progress and prosperity of Ohio agriculture far into the future. The foundation creates pathways for young people to learn about the variety and viability of careers in agriculture. Through scholarships, programming and grants, the foundation builds a growing workforce of farmers who are passionate and prepared to grow Ohio agricultural communities. To learn more about the foundation, visit ofbf.org/foundation.