Wayne Community College has received a grant to support the construction of an agriculture lab building.

The Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust No. One awarded the Foundation of Wayne Community College a $76,000 unrestricted grant. This trust is one of four funds within the Cannon Charitable Interests.

“We are thrilled to receive unrestricted funding from the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust,” said Foundation Executive Director Adrienne Northington. “The donation will be used toward our new Agriculture and Natural Resources Lab Building which will allow the programs in this division to offer a more diverse curriculum.”

Currently, the Agribusiness, Applied Animal Science, Forest Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Swine Management, and Turfgrass Management programs share two classrooms for both instruction and labs. There is little room to store materials and equipment.

WCC is planning a building that will provide both storage and lab space. It will allow instructors to hold labs regardless of the weather and give them the opportunity to bring in live animals.

Its proposed location is adjacent to greenhouses, hydroponics units, and a sustainable farming plot used by agriculture students.

A campaign is underway to raise the estimated $2 million cost of the structure. The Trust’s grant will be added to $500,000 from a gift from the estate of Melda and Bill Lamm that the WCC Foundation has reserved for the project.

For more information about this project and ways to support it, contact the Foundation at 919-739-7022.