Hands on education at Honey Ridge Plantation

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Effingham College and Career Academy prides themselves in taking a different approach to education.

That may not have been more evident than when they took over day to day operations at Honey Ridge Plantation.

“I think that’s one of the things that makes us unique here in Effingham County is we take it a step further and that’s made possible with this farm that we have," said Todd Wall, Honey Ridge Agricenter Coordinator.

Don’t let the word farm throw you off because there’s a lot more to it than you might imagine.

“Electrical wiring, or plumbing, or construction, or welding.”

And that’s not all the 325 acre farm has to offer. They have an area for forestry, genetics, diesel mechanics, and of course animal health sciences.

Wall always keeping one rule in mind.

“No matter what we do we try to always incorporate the students.”

In fact, aside from Wall and the farm adviser, the property is completely student run. Which means the work the students do holds real value.

“Not just building a little bird box in a classroom. They’re coming out here and building something that’s actually going to be used later on down the road.”

For students like Senior Garrett Collins, who wants to study genetic engineering, his time on the farm has been a crucial part of his education.

“Being out here it allows me to work with my hands, learn what I like to do and working with animals it allows me to see if I actually do this in a career,” said Collins.

Something Wall says is exactly they’re hoping to do.

“I think it’s good they’re offered that opportunity to figure it out now instead of after they’ve got $100,000 in student loans and then they decide I want to do something.”

No matter what career path you pick Collins is confident you won’t regret getting your hands dirty.

“I enjoy it more and more every day and getting to work with these and cows and these people I learn something new every day.”

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