Toccoa Falls, Ga. (September 24, 2024) – Toccoa Falls College is excited to announce the addition of a new hoop house at the Lawson Center for Sustainable Community Development (SCD), the on-campus farm. Through SCD courses, students are given the opportunity to practice sustainable lifestyles while participating in local faith communities, and the new hoop house now promotes an enhanced learning experience for students. Our community extends a special thanks to the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Research Conservation & Development Council, a grant program in Demorest which fully funded and built this establishment at TFC. 

With the new hoop house in operation, there comes greater possibilities for both the farm and students. The design of the sides allows for better temperature control through seasonal changes, in addition to protecting the plants from pests by allowing the house to be sealed. There is also more space inside, which provides the opportunities to build raised structures for taking care of the beds and to grow a wider variety of tall plant types. Now that the farm is not as limited by the seasons, SCD students have more creative freedom than ever before.

There are many ways in which the new hoop house can be used to make an impact at TFC, and Scott Davis, the Farm Manager, expresses that  “students often ask the question of what is new at the farm, and it’s nice to be able to try to inspire them with new projects. They often come up with the ideas themselves for how we could use the space.”

Toccoa Falls College looks forward to seeing how God will use the new hoop house to develop students with a mission-centered agricultural approach! To learn more about the SCD Program at TFC, please visit tfc.edu/sustainable.