by SHAYLYNN MARKS
photos provided by TRACE FOREMAN
Davenport High School’s agriculture program has been named the 2026 Polk County Farm Bureau Ag Program of the Year, an honor recognizing its growth under the leadership of FFA advisors and agriculture education teachers Trace Foreman and Lauren Yearry.
“Davenport has done an exceptional job of growing and adding new programs for their students,” says Jessica Anderson, Assistant Director of Agriculture and Career, Technical and Adult Education with Polk County Public Schools.
“This year we grew to two teachers and added a Floral Design program, which has been a complement to the Horticulture program already established. They have developed community partnerships and expanded opportunities for students. I am so proud of the hard work and initiative they have shown!”
A Different Path Into Agriculture
Foreman focuses on horticulture, plant science and agronomic skills. His students study propagation, tissue culturing, cloning, hydroponics and other practices, while also exploring career opportunities in the industry.
“My main focus was to open up agriculture to best serve my students,” he says, “whether that’s teaching urbanized agriculture or providing opportunities for these students to witness agriculture in a way that is accessible and approachable to them.”
Every student in the program has a plant-based Supervised Agricultural Experience, taking a plant from growth to sale while learning how agriculture connects to business.
“They learn how to make income from it, while also learning how these plants can be utilized, and not only in a decorative sense, but also a consumer sense, too,” Foreman says.
The program also has a strong career-readiness focus. Foreman says Davenport students have earned 87 industry certifications, giving them proof of the skills they are building in class.
Yearry’s floral design program offers another entry point, especially for students drawn to creativity. She says the program helps reach students who may not have pictured themselves in agriculture before.
“They’re not all going to go into the floral industry, but they’re learning so many different skills that they will be able to cross over into anything,” Yearry says.
Skills That Stick
“They’re not just learning how to design arrangements,” she says. “They’re legitimately running their own business.”
Through Broncos, Blooms and Buds, the school’s student-run enterprise, students mock up designs, create proposals, calculate costs, plan stem counts, and help invoice customers.
“They’re budgeting, they’re spending money, they’re calculating all kinds of math. There’s a lot of cross-curricular stuff that’s integrated in it while also learning customer service skills,” Yearry explains.
Samantha Summerlin-Tomlinson of Hotel Tea Room Flower Corner has been a major partner for the program, while Haines City Flowers has helped as a nearby wholesaler. Students also work with other FFA chapters, including Fort Meade, where Yearry leads a centerpiece demonstration for students to use at an alumni appreciation dinner.
Success, One Student at a Time
Foreman remembers a senior who has tried to pass an industry certification since ninth grade. The student was going through a difficult year and had one final chance to test before graduation.
“They passed, and the emotional relief, the breakdown that they had with me afterwards, and just the feeling of accomplishment, it really highlighted my purpose,” Foreman says.
Yearry sees that same spark in a student who fell in love with the floral industry through the program after helping Summerlin-Tomlinson with Mother’s Day flower orders.
“She’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I learned so much. It was so much fun,’” Yearry says. “It was just like the fire was lit. She has this burning passion for floral, and I love it.”
That student is now running for district FFA president with a platform centered on floral design, Yearry says.
A Calling, Recognized
Foreman first entered agriculture as a sixth grader at Bartow Middle School. He later attended Warner University, where his professor, Justin Sharpless, encouraged him to consider teaching agriculture. Foreman says agriculture gives him confidence, an outlet, and a voice, and teaching now feels like a way to give back.
“This is my service back to the county and to the teachers and to the staff that made me who I am,” Foreman says.
Yearry’s route began when she taught kindergarten for eight years then later helped start elementary agriculture at Dundee Elementary.
At first unsure about the move to high school education, she says the chance to help launch Davenport’s floral design program pulled her in. Now, Yearry says she has fallen in love with teaching floral.
What Grows Next
When Yearry heard Davenport was named Ag Program of the Year, the news came as a surprise.
“It was totally unexpected,” Yearry says. “We were definitely blown away.”
Yearry plans for her advanced-level floral students to take more ownership within the shop, including leadership roles and customer communication.
They will also partner with Oak Ridge Funeral Care, donating an arrangement for the service of each veteran who passes through the funeral home.
Foreman says the honor reassures him that Davenport’s different approach has a place in agriculture education.
“It truly felt like validation that we are making an impact on the agriculture industry in one way or the other,” he says.
Foreman will continue to expand industry-ready experiences in horticulture, including more hands-on spaces on campus and more chances for students to see agriculture in action beyond the classroom.
After only two years, Davenport’s agriculture program is still in the early stages. What comes next has the chance to bloom even bigger.
