South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe

What South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe does

The South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is a state-funded public residential high school located on a 1,310-acre campus in rural McCormick County, South Carolina. Founded in 1797 by French Huguenot minister John de la Howe, it is the only public residential high school in the United States devoted exclusively to agricultural education. It serves South Carolina high school students (grades 9-12) drawn from across the state, offering an honors-level core curriculum alongside four agricultural pathways: animal and plant systems, horticulture, agricultural mechanics and technology, and environmental and natural resources. The campus functions as a working farm with dedicated centers for cattle, swine, poultry, equine, small ruminants, apiculture, crops and gardens, forestry and wildlife, plus an on-site veterinary clinic, an Education Center, and 12 residence halls supporting 24/7 supervised residential life.

The business model is primarily state-funded: tuition is covered for South Carolina residents, with revenue derived from state appropriations supplemented by donations through the John de la Howe Foundation (e.g., $50,000 from ADM in 2024), grants (e.g., AgFirst Farm Credit Bank for the greenhouse), and ancillary farm-based income including corn sales ($3/dozen, $10/crate), plant sales, livestock auctions via an online platform on jdlhfarm.com, and event tickets for the Sportsman's Banquet and raffles. The technology stack is conventional educational SaaS: PowerSchool (student information system), Apptegy (website and mobile apps for iOS and Android), Eventbrite, Venmo, and Showman.app. Dual-enrollment college courses with Piedmont Technical College provide college credit pathways. The institution is governed by a Governor-appointed Board of Trustees and recently earned Cognia international accreditation (six-year term, January 2025).

Name

South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe

Legal name

South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe

Website

https://delahowe.sc.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1797

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is a state-funded public residential high school on a 1,310-acre campus in McCormick County, SC, serving in-state students with an honors curriculum and four agricultural pathways through a working farm, veterinary clinic, and dual-enrollment college courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN), Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Residential high school
• FFA programs
• Hands-on farming
• Animal science training

Headquarters

HQ city

McCormick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: As a state-funded public residential high school, the primary revenue comes from South Carolina state government appropriations
2. Donations and Grants: Corporate and private donations received through the John de la Howe Foundation, including $50,000 from ADM in 2024 and grant funding from AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
3. Agricultural Product Sales: Revenue from selling farm products including corn ($3/dozen, $10/crate), plants from greenhouse sales, and livestock auctions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is a public residential high school delivering honors-level core curriculum combined with four specialized agricultural pathways (animal & plant systems, horticulture, ag mechanics & technology, environmental & natural resources). Students live on the 1,310-acre campus and learn through hands-on work at the working farm, FFA competition, dual-enrollment courses with Piedmont Technical College, and supervised agricultural experience projects. The campus also houses an Education Center offering community workshops, an on-campus veterinary clinic, and summer internship programs.

Product overview

The South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is a single, unified educational program: a public residential high school devoted exclusively to agricultural education. The core offering is a four-pathway agricultural curriculum (animal & plant systems, horticulture, ag mechanics & technology, environmental & natural resources) supplemented by hands-on learning through the JDLH Farm's working farm operations, dual-enrollment college courses, an on-campus veterinary clinic, the Education Center's community workshops, and summer internship programs. Mobile apps and the livestock auction widget serve as technology enhancements to the core educational mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Education Program
• JDLH Farm Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• Students achieved National Championship in wildlife management at FFA competition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• South Carolina Farm Bureau FederationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026SC Farm Bureau hosted camp at John de la Howe campus, with Dean Marks of Clemson Veterinary Medicine presenting to campers about veterinary college preparation.
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2025SCDNR wildlife biologists led environmental and natural resources management students on prescribed fire training at Bourdeaux Dove Field, near campus. Students observed controlled burn techniques for wildlife habitat management.
• J.W. Yonce & Sons Inc. (Big Smile Peaches)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2025Edgefield County-based peach producer donated 250 peach trees for planting at Eubanks Farm, representing an 80+ year agricultural family tradition partnering with John de la Howe's 278-year legacy.
• Ducks UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2025Partnership for Youth Shooting Sports Raffle fundraiser in support of the school's competitive shotgun team. Ducks Unlimited provides branded prizes including Traeger Grill, Turtlebox Speaker, and Cornhole Set.
• CASE IHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2025Equipment manufacturer visited campus to demonstrate the school's new tractor and answer student questions about agricultural technology.
• Riverhill Farm TrailersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2025Fountain Inn-based dealer from whom the school purchased a custom 30-foot aluminum trailer built by Virginia-based Adam Trailers for livestock transport.
• Piedmont Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025Partnership for dual-enrollment agricultural courses, allowing students to earn college credit while in high school. Students can potentially complete most or all of their freshman year of college before graduation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics: A state-funded public residential high school for STEM students in Oklahoma. Comparable as a specialized residential public secondary school with state governance.
• South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics: A state-funded public residential high school in South Carolina, governed by the same state model as John de la Howe. It is the most direct peer, offering a parallel residential public education model with a STEM specialization.
• South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities: A South Carolina Governor's School with the same state governance structure, public residential model, and statewide recruitment approach. It offers an arts/humanities specialization as John de la Howe offers agriculture.
• Alabama School of Mathematics and Science: A state-funded public residential high school for STEM-focused students in Alabama. Directly comparable as a state-authorized specialized residential secondary institution.
• The Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University: A state-funded residential academy for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors with a STEM focus. Comparable residential public secondary model with specialized academic programming.
• Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts: A state-funded residential public high school offering specialized STEM and arts curricula. Comparable to John de la Howe as a residential public secondary school with a specialized academic focus.
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: A state-funded public residential high school in North Carolina with a STEM focus. Highly comparable as a specialized public residential secondary school, differing primarily in subject specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Clemson University: South Carolina's land-grant university with strong College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. A key higher-education pathway partner for John de la Howe graduates and a broader incumbent in agricultural education in SC.
• SUNY Morrisville: A public college in New York offering agricultural and technical programs. Comparable as a broader agricultural education institution with hands-on farm operations, though operating at the post-secondary level.

Regional players

• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College: A two-year agricultural college in Tifton, Georgia, with strong programs in agriculture, forestry, and natural resources. Comparable as an agricultural education institution serving the southeastern U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JDLHSchool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@scgovernorsschoolforag
• Facebookfacebook.com/JDLHS
• Instagraminstagram.com/delahowe_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-de-la-howe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe