Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Academy

Horticulture is an intensive subset of agriculture that deals with flowers, landscape plants, vegetables, and fruits. Today, horticulture is focused on finding new and environmentally-responsible ways of managing plants and pests to help increase crop and ornamental plant viability. Sam Houston State University sums it up as a science, "dealing with production and management of plants for food, comfort, feed, recreation, and beauty."

Plants are also very important in environmental protection. They are used to revegetate and restore land disturbed by human or natural activities, they control erosion, and they help to clean the air and water. Plants also have an important role in the beautification of urban and rural landscapes and recreation areas. Horticulture is socially important because it improves how we use plants, for food and other human purposes, as well as repairing the environment and personal aesthetics.

Industry Credentials
Students enrolled in the Horticulture Program may earn the following industry credentials:

• Forestry Worker
• Landscape Design & Plant Materials
• Turfgrass Management
• Specialty Crops
• Landscape Management

Career Technical Student Organizations are a critical component of all career technical education programs. Horticulture students will be afforded the opportunity to join local, state, and national FFA. FFA was established in 1928 and currently has 653,359 members throughout the U.S.

Students who join FFA will have the opportunity to participate in various competitive events at local, state, and national levels, as well as, participate in leadership development conferences, and service learning projects.

The FFA mission is to: make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The FFA motto: Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

• National FFA
• Alabama FFA