The Fairgrounds are located at 1200 Bluff St., in Webster City, and the Ag Academy is the first building directly south of the main entrance gate.

The building was completed in time for classes to start during the 2025-26 school year. During the year, a number of dignitaries have toured this unique facility, including the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig.

The Career Ag Academy Facility is a collaborative partnership between Webster City Community Schools, Career Ag Academy, Inc., a local nonprofit organization, and the Hamilton County Fair. The project represents an investment in the future of agriculture education and workforce development in Hamilton County and beyond.

The facility provides students with hands-on learning experiences in the agriculture industry, one of Iowa’s largest and most impactful economic sectors that touches nearly every industry across the state.

Students participating in the Career Ag Academy have opportunities for real-world education and career exploration, including dual credit courses offered through partnerships with Iowa Central Community College and Iowa State University. These experiences will help students gain valuable industry skills while jumpstarting future careers in agriculture and related fields.

The new facility features:

• A dedicated livestock learning area

• A meat lab

• Modern classrooms for education and skill development

• Hands-on career and technical learning opportunities

The Career Ag Academy is designed to help students better understand the wide variety of careers available within the agriculture industry while developing practical skills and experience that prepare them for future success.

Gene Gourley will be speaking during the event and sharing more about the vision, impact, and future opportunities the Career Ag Academy will bring to students and the community. Those interested may take tours of the facility after the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“The Career Ag Academy Board of Directors is excited to celebrate this grand opening and to share this facility with the community and surrounding region,” said Gene Gourley. “‘Ag Learning Lives Here’ is the title of our donor wall. It reflects the vision of the founding donors who made this hands-on livestock and meat processing learning center possible for high school students, now and for generations to come.”

This project has been made possible through the generosity of local benefactors and supporters, along with grant funding from the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation.

All community members and the general public are encouraged to attend and celebrate this milestone for local education and agriculture.

For more information, contact the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce at 515-832-2564 or the website: visitwebstercityiowa.com