The Sauk Prairie FFA’s annual plant sale is back and bursting with color. This year’s sale takes place May 10–11 at the Sauk Prairie High School Jeff Hicken Horticulutral Learning Center and features more than 8,000 plants grown by local students.
Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Troy Talford says there’s something for everyone. “We have over 70 different varieties of plants,” Talford said. “From hanging baskets and annuals to vegetables and herbs—it’s a little bit of everything.”
Among this year’s favorites are coleus and begonias. “Coleus is always a big hit,” Talford shared. “We even dedicated an entire bench to them. Our dragon wing and angel wing begonias are also really popular and looking great this year.”
What makes the sale even more unique is the hands-on student involvement. Classes from both the high school and middle school play key roles in the greenhouse, starting all the way back in February. “When the plants arrive, everyone pitches in,” Talford explained. “From transplanting and watering to checking for pests, our students help at every step.”
In addition, students are learning about sustainability. For instance, the greenhouse recently released ladybugs as a natural pest control method. “It was a fun experience,” said Talford. “So far, it’s been effective, and it’s teaching students about biological alternatives.”
Although not every student is planning a career in horticulture, the experience still offers valuable life lessons. “Whether they go into ag careers or not, everyone can benefit from knowing how to grow and care for plants,” Talford said.
The greenhouse itself helps make the experience more enjoyable and efficient. Now in its third year of use, it offers more space, better organization, and also new technology like a climate control system and teaching screen. “We didn’t add more benches—we added room to move and learn,” Talford explained. “It’s made a big difference.”
Sale hours and a full plant catalog are available at saukprairieffa.com/plantsale.
