DeSoto Times-Tribune
County cuts ribbon on $19 million Agri-Ed Center
By Jake Lankford
Lee Caldwell came onto the Board of Supervisors in 2011 with a mission– to raise the money for and open an agricultural education center that will be the hub of agriculture in the county.
Twelve years later, and with $19 million in saved-up funds, Caldwell and the county celebrated the opening of the Agri-Ed Center, located at 1170 Star Landing Road in Nesbit, with a ribbon-cutting gala and a showcase of what the center currently offers, and what is in store for the future.
“It took us a while, but here we are.” Caldwell said in her speech. “It’s just about people working together to do better for DeSoto County.”
Over the past 12 years, the board would raise every bit of the $19 million through grants and saving money in every way they could. Christie Barclay, DeSoto County community resource director, said no bonds or tax hikes were used to fund the project.
The land for the Agri-Ed Center sits on an old landfill, with the rest donated by the Austin family. Construction took about two years and though the main construction is done, there are still several more amenities and add-ons planned to be added.
The Agri-Ed Center, currently, will offer cooking classes, as well as lessons on canning and preserving food, a 2000-seat indoor arena for rodeo events, a 1.5-mile walking trail that will soon be extended into a three-mile trail and a large variety of classrooms where various programs will be hosted. Future plans for the Agri-Ed Center include a storm shelter that is currently under construction, RV parking and courts for tennis and pickleball.
“She really pushed this and supported this, and it is something we will all be proud of.” District 1 Supervisor Jessie Medlin said in his speech.
Agriculture has a deep history in DeSoto County. Historically, DeSoto County was a primarily-cotton and dairy producing county. Today, these traditions are seen in such places as the family farms across the county, the farmers markets that keep the traditions alive and campaigns such as “Keep DeSoto County Beautiful,” dedicated to keeping the county’s natural spaces cleaned up.
Caldwell said the Agri-Ed Center is a place where the county’s long traditions of agriculture are gathered under one roof to be passed down to the next generation.
“You can feed someone for a day, but if you teach him to fish, he can feed himself for a lifetime.” Caldwell said. “That’s what we really want to bring to our communities, they can provide foods for themselves, grow it, harvest their food and prepare their food for their families and communities. This is the heart of the county, I want this to be the place to bring people together.”
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith flew in from Washington for the ribbon-cutting and said agriculture is more than just teaching children about growing food or processing animals. It’s about responsibility.
“What agriculture means to everyone is sustainable food supply.” Hyde-Smith said.
Eric Williams, President of the Southaven Chamber of Commerce, said the Agri-Ed Center will provide education and recreation for kids in the county, as well as teaching them important skills.
“Giving the kids something to do is going to be amazing for our county. I think they need to learn how to cook more and preserving foods. Those are the two things I hope they do.”
Josh Wilson, owner of Rustic Oak Ranch horse farm, said the Agri-Ed Center will be a great place to introduce kids to the 4-H world through the ranch’s programs.
“It’ll give the kids an opportunity to see a rodeo, see cow shows and potentially join the 4-H. ” Wilson said.
Agri-Ed Center director Michael Lee said the biggest thing the center will do is represent the county for the children who live there, and pass down important agricultural knowledge to them.
“We don’t want agriculture to die, we want it to live. There’s probably 43,000 kids in our schools and we need 43,000 kids over here to learn what it’s about.” Lee said.
The Agri-Ed Center is also a consolidation of the agriculture groups in the county. Five agricultural organizations will be housed under one roof for the very first time at the Agri-Ed Center.
“We have arenas, and we have bigger rooms because we’ve outgrown everything we have. This gives us more space so we can accommodate more people in our programs.” Patricia Cross, MS State Extension office associate and 4-H volunteer, said.
Board of Supervisors President Mark Gardner said the Agri-Ed Center accomplishes their goal of creating a hub of agriculture where these skills can be preserved and passed down to future generations.
“This is a vision coming to life.” District 2 Supervisor Mark Gardner said. “We set out to protect our agricultural roots and let kids know that eggs and milk don’t come from Kroger by creating a place where people can come together, and that’s what we’re doing. This building belongs to DeSoto County, to the taxpayers of DeSoto County and it’s here for your use.”