Lindbergh Schools hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on its Farmers Club Agricultural STEM Learning Center on May 6.
Though ground had technically already been broken on the site as construction began in March, the district decided to wait until warmer weather for the ceremony. It was originally scheduled for April 1, however rain forced a delay.
Made possible by Lindbergh Prop R, a $150 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue proposal approved by voters in April 2024, the one-of-a-kind Lindbergh Farmers Club is expected to directly connect students from pre-kindergarten through high school to career opportunities and innovation in the agricultural technology (AgTech) industry. In addition to technology and agriculture, the main focuses of the center will be ecology, sustainability, engineering and entrepreneurship. Student-run farmers markets and a museum curated by students on the history of agriculture in the area are just two examples of multi-subject aspects of the center.
“A lot of times in learning, it’s done in silos, right? This has an opportunity to bring that all together, and we’re just so excited,” Lindbergh Schools Superintendent Tony Lake said. “Creating a hub in your school district where you can bring all of these real-world learning opportunities around a certain theme is really what we believe the future of K-12 public education is.”
Lake emphasized that this project celebrates not only the future, but also the past, as the site is the home to the former Concord Farmers Club — an organization that started just after the Civil War. The site was purchased by Lindbergh Schools in early 2021, and the historical, on-site building from the Concord Farmers’ Club was demolished by Lindbergh in August 2025.
“You’re standing on a historical site in South St. Louis County,” Lake said. “This is where people did life in South County after the Civil War. They would come together on this piece of land, share farming techniques and different strategies and just do community and life together. We see this as doing the same thing.”
After those involved with the project — from the BSI construction team to school board members to administrators — introduced themselves, it was time to break ground with shovels decked out in Lindbergh green bows.
“It’s a very exciting time for our school district. We believe that the experiences that our students are going to get here are truly unique and one of a kind,” Lake said. “Thank you to our community for Prop R. We couldn’t do this without your support in providing these amazing opportunities for our students.”
A soft opening of the Lindbergh Farmers Club is anticipated for spring 2027, with a full programming launch in August of that year.