For the last five years, WTAMU students have been taking trips with Mrs. Elizabeth Moore’s horticulture class to the Erwin’s Greenhouse. Moore is a part time instructor at WT and helps with the WT greenhouse. Her husband, Kyle Moore, is the associate director of administrations.
“In 2006, I contacted Erwin’s Greenhouse to set up a tour for the students,” Moore said. “The students really do retain a lot of information they see during the trip. I think everyone always enjoys going out to the greenhouses.”
Erwin’s Greenhouse was developed in 1963 by Jim and Gean Erwin. Today, the facility is run by Lou Anne Causey, the manager and president. Her nephew, Jarret Erwin, gives students tours. Jarret went to Texas Tech University, achieving his degree in horticulture. His interest in winery led him to pursue his masters in oenology and he now grows and harvests his own vineyard.“When he came back from college, he has helped with the technical work such as testing the soils for the right pH,” Causey said. “Elizabeth Moore contacted us one day and asked if we could give a tour for her students to which Jarret was more than happy to do.”
“The students are always pleasantly surprised what they get to see,” Moore said. “Watching the students open doors to new ideas and realize how big the facility is makes it worthwhile to me. Horticulture is a huge part of agriculture and some students don’t know about that.”
“You can always tell which students are the most interested because they’re right up front,” Causey said. “Very seldom, we have students come looking for a part-time job after they take this tour with Jarret. There are not a lot of people who are interested in this business, but I hope through this tour, students can become more interested.”
“I thought it was very interesting,” Belynn Sharp, a sophomore studying Advertising and Public Relations, said. “I liked learning about all the different stages that go into producing their crops and how much work goes into it throughout the year.”
Sharp is one of the many students who have taking this tour with Mrs. Moore to the Erwin’s Greenhouse.
“She [Mrs. Moore] genuinely cares about her students,” Sharp said. “[These trips] help the students with their education because it’s more hands on work than what you would see in a history class.”
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