NOC holds ribbon cutting for greenhouse
Northern Oklahoma College held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday for the new greenhouse at the NOC Tonkawa Ag Complex.
The ribbon cutting was sponsored by the Tonkawa Chamber of Commerce.
NOC President Diana Morris welcomed the audience to the event.
It is my honor to welcome you as we celebrate this milestone for Northern Oklahoma College,” she said. “Adding new high-demand academic programing is a central goal to NOC’s strategic plan and today’s event marks significant progress toward preparing more students for entry into well-paying and secure career fields and/or transfer to a four-year institution for advanced studies.”
Morris provided the background for the project.
“In 2020, a Team of staff and faculty Northern worked together to apply for a U.S. Department of Education grant that would afford us the opportunity to strengthen the institution. Through this grant and the support of many others, this greenhouse was created to support hands-on learning experiences, collaborative projects and in-depth research.”
“The NASNTI program, funded through the U.S. Department of Education, supports institutions like NOC in expanding capacity to better serve Native American and low-income students.,” she added. “Through this five-year, $2.2 million project, NOC has focused on three key initiatives: expanding STEM programs, strengthening student services, and increasing support for remote learners.”
“This greenhouse is a direct result of those efforts and represents a significant investment in hands-on learning and workforce-aligned education.”
The NASNTI project is led by project director LeeAnna Bowling.
Tricia Moore, Division Chair for Biology and Agriculture added, “This idea actually began back around 2012 when Bart Cardwell, our Sheep Herd Manager was pursuing an Oklahoma Work Force Grant. In 2019, when I was approached about a potential STEM initiative for NASNTI funding, we were able to pick discussion up again to develop this program, and secure two, beautiful teaching classrooms, by remodeling an existing space and by constructing a greenhouse facility, in addition to securing the necessary equipment to provide a state-of-the-art program and experience for our students.”
“This was truly a collaborative effort,” Moore added, We had input from NOC administration, NASNTI grant consultant, agriculture industry partners, Jeremy Johns and P & K Equipment, Kramer Simpson, Mike Meeker, Todd Woods, and others who meet with us bi-weekly on a Zoom feed to help us with the beginning planning stages, and all members of the Ag & Biological Sciences Division.”
NASNTI Precision Agriculture Specialist Dr. Kyle Parmley gave specifics about how NOC will use a new spray rig and drone technology for the precision ag program while NOC instructor Scott Harmon followed up with his plans to work to utilize the greenhouse and incorporate his work with students to provide business internships and community involvement.
Moore also announced a recently established Horticulture Scholarship that will assist NOC students starting Fall 2026. The scholarship was established by NOC alum Evelyn Coyle.
