WINSIDE, Neb. -- Thursday afternoon, Winside Public Schools broke ground on a new building for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program, marking a significant milestone.

Winside Public Schools overcame pandemic, and inflation concerns to commence construction on their long-awaited FFA building. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday, with students, construction managers, and administration in attendance.

Board President John Jaeger, a farmer himself, expressed his enthusiasm about the project.

“I’m very excited that we can give this opportunity to our future students,” he said.

Jaeger said an FFA program is something he wishes was available when he was in school, now he’s thrilled he can help give it to the next generation.

The FFA program has been popular for Winside students since its inception.

“The first year we started we had 27 kids in it,” he said. “So, it was much needed.”

The new FFA building is set to be completed in 2024, securing the future of Winside Public Schools.

“It’s huge, it’s going to guarantee our school is going to be here for the next 50-60 years,” he said. “You have to provide the same opportunities as the schools around us provide… we’ll be able to do that now.”