On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the Surry County School System and Wayne Sanderson Farms celebrated the completion of the Poultry Lab at North Surry High School. This ribbon cutting marks the installation of live animal poultry labs at all three traditional Surry County high schools.
Many North Surry FFA Officers were in attendance, along with Surry County Commissioners Bill Goins and Melissa Hiatt, School Board Members TJ Bledsoe, Raleigh Scales, Kent Whitaker, and Dale Badgett, and those who assisted directly with the project. The ceremony was also attended by representatives from Wayne Sanderson Farms, including Matthew Wooten, Lee Freeman, Mike Peoples, Jana McCurley, along with Andy VonCanon, Western Region Agricultural Education Coordinator for North Carolina FFA, Joanna Radford of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, news media, and the Surry County Schools Central Office team.
The ribbon cutting featured remarks from FFA officers, Principal Dr. Paige Badgett, Board of Education Chairperson TJ Bledsoe, Matthew Wooten of Wayne Sanderson Farms, Joanna Radford of the NC Cooperative Extension Service, and Superintendent Dr. Travis L. Reeves.
The original structure was the old greenhouse built in 1965. A partial demo of the original structure began in November 2024, featuring a new shingle roof for the potting area. This was followed by insulation and a new metal roof for the old greenhouse. The exterior was finished off with new windows, metal siding, and vinyl trim for the eaves and soffit. New electrical, natural gas heating, and automated controls for the operation of the new Poultry Lab were finished up in August. The SCS Maintenance Department worked diligently to ensure that this project was completed by September, thereby facilitating the delivery of live birds.
The lab will house and grow about 100 broiler birds at a time, with Wayne Sanderson Farms supplying feed, conducting weekly flock checks, and ensuring students follow the same biosecurity training and protocols used by its growers.
Sara George, Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor, voiced her excitement: “This is a place where students can raise and care for the animals while gaining valuable, hands-on experiences in a live animal setting. Although the classroom is a necessary part of any student’s education, it is impossible to learn what agriculture is truly about from a seat, a lecture, or a textbook. In this facility, my students will be able to gain a deeper insight into the cost and business realities of agriculture as well as the struggles and successes that farmers face.”
“Classroom learning is powerful, but there’s no substitute for hands-on experience,” said Matthew Wooten, Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Dobson Complex manager. “This lab will offer students the chance to engage with the real-world standards of poultry farming, from flock care to biosecurity.”
“It is my belief that this facility will serve as an inspiration to our students and future farmers,” commented Dr. Travis L. Reeves, Superintendent of Surry County Schools. This facility will give them the chance to test concepts, gain real-world knowledge, and be exposed to career opportunities they may not have thought about previously. Agriculture is still the number one industry in Surry County and the state of North Carolina, which makes this project an investment in the future of the industry.”