The Mississippi State University Extension Service recently received a donation for two new greenhouses for the master gardeners program.
The announcement of the donation was revealed during the most recent Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Extension Agent Thomas Legiandenyi told the supervisors Dr. Kenneth Ramsey was preparing to move to Florida to be closer to his children when he donated the two new greenhouses.
Legiandenyi said the two greenhouses are small, but are priced at about $4,000.
“We have several programs with kids, and this will be a really good asset for us to be able to have plants and teach kids and even for farmers,” Legiandenyi said.
The reason Legiandenyi brought the announcement of the donation to the supervisors was due to where MSU Extension Service would like to place the greenhouses.
Legiandenyi said they would like to place the newly donated greenhouses directly behind the MSU Extension Service building.
He said they have already done the measurements and both of the greenhouses would fit in the designated area.
Legiandenyi said the donation will allow the Extension Service to raise money easier for scholarships. He said every May, they sell plants grown by their department at the local farmer’s market.
Those funds raised through selling the plants is then formulated into a scholarship for students pursuing study of plants or science. Previously, the Extension Service has provided scholarships up to $1,000 and this past year, Legiandenyi said they made it to $2,000 on the plant sale.
“I’m projecting with the greenhouses we will be able to have more plants and probably support more kids,” Legiandenyi said.
Board Attorney Rob Roberson said the county owns the property, but the question is going to be whether or not it’s zoned appropriately to be placed behind the building.
“From our standpoint, it’s not a question of whether or not we would allow it, it’s a question of whether the zoning would allow it back there,” Roberson said said.
The supervisors approved the motion based on the conversations with the city on the zoning.