The Floriculture and Greenhouse Management program at the ACE Center at Hermitage is preparing to welcome a new flock of chickens next week, thanks to a newly constructed coop funded by proceeds from the center’s annual spring plant sale. The chickens will play a key role in sustainable gardening practices, contributing to composting and pest control efforts within the greenhouse program.
Students in the Floriculture program study plant and soil science, greenhouse operations, and landscape design. They gain hands-on experience cultivating crops in a greenhouse and land lab, while learning industry safety standards and techniques for propagation, transplanting, and floral arrangements.
This new addition also supports collaboration with the Veterinary Sciences program, which offers a two-year curriculum focused on small animal care, grooming, animal health, and career strategies. Students gain practical experience handling live animals and learning veterinary procedures, preparing them for careers such as veterinary technician, animal behaviorist, or wildlife conservationist.
This initiative reflects the ACE Center’s commitment to experiential learning, sustainability, and career readiness across multiple disciplines.
📣 Recruitment Now Open!
Interested in joining this program—or one of the many other exciting career and technical education opportunities offered at the ACE Centers at Hermitage, Highland Springs, and Virginia Randolph
✅ Click here to view our visual guide to the ACE Center Programs. Apply now to explore programs in healthcare, engineering, culinary arts, digital media, and more!