Inside South Carolina's one-of-a-kind farm school

At the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe (JDLH), high school students rise with the dawn, many setting off from their residence halls across the school's 1,300 acres to tend to livestock or crops.

A class schedule that includes English and geometry might also feature courses in forestry, crop production, equine science, or outdoor recreation. Extracurriculars cover similarly ranging interests — Future Farmers of America (FFA), National Beta Club, and student council, as well as Club APIs for beekeepers and Field Trial Team for students passionate about working and hunting with dogs.

If this sounds like a unique high school experience, that's because it is. JDLH is the only residential public high school in the United States devoted to agriculture.

Established in 1797, JDLH is the oldest educational institution in SC below the college level. In the 1980s, the mission was changed to serve children who struggled in a traditional school environment, offering an alternative haven for them to grow and succeed. In 2019, however, the campus entered a new era as a Governor’s School, joining the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville and the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in Hartsville.

“We’re working extremely hard to make the SC taxpayers proud of this school, and also to raise awareness of just how important agriculture is to every facet of life," said Gregory Thompson, Principal of JDLH.

Faculty, staff, and students at JDLH recently welcomed members of Upstate Forever’s team to the school’s campus to learn more about its past, present, and future.

We were also joined on our tour by South Carolina Representative Patrick Haddon (Greenville, District 19). Representative Haddon — who has served as a champion for the school and mentor for its students — affectionately referred to the campus as his favorite place in South Carolina. “Well, the second favorite behind my own farm,” he added.

“Agricultural education is the backbone of South Carolina’s future," said Rep. Haddon. "When students at the Governor’s School for Agriculture learn to work the land, lead with purpose, and use new technology to solve real problems, they’re doing more than preparing for a career — they’re helping secure the future of farming and the strength of our state.”

On our visit our team got to tour the newly renovated de la Howe Hall, which honors the building’s rich history by repurposing original materials like brick and wood flooring while incorporating modern classroom technology and spaces that will serve the surrounding community, such as the auditorium that seats 265. We got a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a student on this unique campus, from the house-style residence halls to the barns and stables where livestock are cared for by students. We enjoyed lunch at the school’s cafeteria where we spoke with a few students about what piqued their interest in studying agriculture:

“I’ve always loved the outdoors and working with animals. I found this school and thought this would be perfect, especially since I’m coming from being homeschooled. When I came here, I started getting into the conservation side of things and into taking care of animals and eventually got into falconry. I trained birds for almost a whole year and hunted with red tail hawks, some peregrine falcons, and Cooper’s hawks and have really, really enjoyed it.” – Chris Page, Greenville

“I grew up not out in the country so I didn’t have any exposure to farm life, but there are 30 acres that back up to my house. There were always deer, barn owls, raccoons, and other animals out there. Then a neighborhood was built back there and it destroyed their habitat. That was when I started really thinking more about wildlife. I applied here because I thought, well, this will be fun — and my first year was great!” – Garland Wilson, Lexington

“Growing up, my family was always outside hiking and camping. When I started high school, some of the electives were like animal care and agriculture. Those were really interesting so I did a shadow day at JDLH and thought, man, I really like this. Three of my four classes are outside all the time and I just love it.” – Lainey Patten, Anderson

“Agriculture has always been a big, big part of my life. My family runs a dairy farm in Bowman. We have about 350 cows and are currently milking about 150 of them. When I applied here, my parents assumed I would go into the Plant and Animal Systems Pathway, but that wasn’t the case. I am very involved with the youth development program 4H and have done multiple workshops for Clemson’s Environmental and Natural Resources and that’s where I found my love for being outside and in the woods.” – Brooks Wetzel, Bowman

More than 100 students have graduated from the Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe since the inaugural graduating class in 2022. They’ve also earned statewide and national recognition — Garland Wilson recently brought home two 1st place prizes from the South Carolina Beekeepers Association Conference and Lainey Patten was on a team that was named national champions in in a wildlife management contest by FFA.

Agriculture is South Carolina's largest industry, generating $51 billion in economic impact in 2020 (SC Dept. of Agriculture), and this one-of-a-kind school is equipping future farmers for success.

Learn more at delahowe.sc.gov.