Yelm High School’s FFA Plant Sale set for Thursday and Friday at greenhouses

The annual spring-time tradition within the Nisqually Valley region of Yelm High School students growing and preparing different plants and garden items for area residents to enhance their landscape with has quickly approached, as the Yelm FFA Plant Sale is set for Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24.

The sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, and from 8 a.m. until all items are sold out on Friday, April 24.
Jordan Hummel, current YHS greenhouse instructor, told the Nisqually Valley News on Monday, April 20, that her class has been hard at work in preparation for the Yelm FFA Plant Sale since January.

“Since the start of January, we’ve been out in the greenhouse, every day, either getting everything planted, keeping everything watered, keeping the space clean and doing normal greenhouse maintenance,” she said. “We would get orders of plants coming in every week. The kids got assigned into their greenhouse groups. I like to run it like a business where I have a manager in each greenhouse who is in charge of group leaders. Those group leaders have workers under them. It’s set up exactly like a business would be.”

She added that each group would be assigned a different task throughout the week, such as planting fuchsia baskets or placing calibrachoas into four-inch containers.

Two of the greenhouse managers, YHS seniors Kailey Slevin and William Icenoggle, told the Nisqually Valley News that they’re proud of the work that’s gone into making the 2026 Yelm FFA Plant Sale a successful fundraiser. Last year, the program raised over $30,000 and every last penny went back to Yelm FFA members.

“A lot of teamwork goes into it. There’s a lot of teams split up, making sure that they’re all working hard and getting their work done,” Slevin said. “Honestly, the preparation has been really similar to sports for me. It’s a lot of teamwork. You have to get to know the plants, what you’re working with, and how to interact with the people around you. It’s been a great experience to do this during the past two years.”

Icenoggle added, “It’s basically a job. We’re not getting paid but our FFA chapter is making money off of it. As an active member, it’s very nice to be ab;e to participate in the thing that propels our chapter forward and lets us be able to participate in all the events we’re able to do and go to state.”

The hard work described by the two students and their instructor Hummel is more than worth it in the end for Yelm FFA program members.

“It’s hard to put into words how important this sale is to Yelm FFA. Yelm FFA is now an affiliated program, and what that means is the chapter pays for the dues of all of its members,” Hummel said. “I have 100% FFA membership in my greenhouse class, and all of the proceeds go directly back to the students. Whether that’s helping them pay for state convention, helping them buy things for chapter meetings — this greenhouse sale is by far the biggest fundraiser throughout the year.”

Slevin said she’s spent countless hours inside of the greenhouse in preparation for the sale. She’s visited the space before school, after school and even during different classes in order to prepare for the upcoming fundraiser.

“The greenhouse is like an escape room where you feel like you’re not doing anything, but you’re doing so much. Every little thing matters,” she said. “My interest in plants started in Mr. Mounts’ class. He told me that I’d be good at this and that I should go to the greenhouse. I got into the class and there’s so much to learn from it. We grow vegetables, fruits and everything like that — stuff that you can actually eat.”

Icenoggle, who said there’s always work to be done in the greenhouse, agreed with Slevin and said he’s constantly finding time to check plants, baskets, sort through insects and provide an ample amount of water to each plant.

“I started last year, and this is the biggest leadership role that I’ve ever been in,” Icenoggle said. “Some of the baskets are $30 and you want those to be in pristine condition or else you’re going to have some people going home angry. The work is constant around the clock.”