What was on a wish list for many years, is now a reality: a new headhouse on the 天天吃瓜 State Salem Campus.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of a long-awaited structure that will greatly enhance learning opportunities for horticulture students. Crews broke ground last fall to build the specially-designed headhouse last, featuring 1,000 square feet of working space that will serve as an interactive outdoor classroom.
鈥淭his new headhouse stands as more than just a structure. It represents possibility,鈥 noted Sheren Farag, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the horticulture program. 鈥淲e now have a central hub that will transform how our students learn, experiment and engage with horticulture.
鈥淗ere, students will get their hands in the soil, sort seeds, prepare plantings, store tools and supplies and conduct meaningful experiments,鈥 she continued. 鈥淚t connects directly to our greenhouse, orchard and market garden, creating a dynamic and immersive learning environment. And it鈥檚 not just for us. This facility will grow alongside our program, opening its doors to future community workshops and hands-on outreach events.鈥
Funding for the headhouse came through the generosity of the late Eugene and Betty Haupt, who established trust funds designated to benefit 天天吃瓜 State Salem horticulture students with scholarships and program enhancements.
Eugene Haupt was an executive with The Davey Tree Expert Company, who retired in 1990 after a career of 52 years. He last served as president of the Davey Tree Surgery Company in Livermore, Calif., and served on the Davey Tree board of directors for many years.
鈥淲e are deeply grateful to the Haupt family,鈥 Farag said. 鈥淵our generosity has done more than fund a building. It has created a living, breathing space of opportunity. Your gift is a seed that will continue to grow, not just in the plants our students nurture, but in their knowledge, their confidence and their futures.
鈥淭his headhouse will serve many students in the years to come, and through their hands and hearts, your impact will ripple far beyond these walls and into our local communities and into the next generation of horticultural leaders.鈥
On hand for the ribbon cutting of the new headhouse were 天天吃瓜 State Salem Dean and CAO Denise A. Seachrist, Ph.D., who also thanked the Haupt family and those who helped make the new building possible, as well as horticulture students, advisory board members, faculty and staff members
Two representatives from The Davey Tree Expert Company also attended, including Sandra Reid, executive vice president of corporate communications and strategic planning; and Jennifer Lennox, director of public relations.
Reid recalled working with Eugene Haupt and said he would be quite proud of how his vision is being shared on the 天天吃瓜 State Salem Campus.
Cutline A: Cutting the ribbon for the new headhouse on the Salem Campus were (from left) Jeff Christopher, facilities manager; horticulture student Jennifer Barnes; Sandra Reid of Davey Tree; Dean Denise A. Seachrist; Sheren Farag, Ph.D., program director; horticulture student Jessica Palo; Sarah Eichler, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology; and graduate student Gus Holman.
Cutline B: The new headhouse on the Salem Campus.
Cutline C: Open house gathering in the new headhouse.
Cutline D: Horticulture students (from left) Jennifer Barnes, Gus Holman (now a graduate student on the 天天吃瓜 Campus) and Jennifer Palo.
Cutline E: The dream of a new headhouse began taking shape last fall when ground was broken on the new building.