Hartselle High School’s Future Farmers of America is taking on a project that could save the City of Hartselle money in the long run.

The group has received permission from Mayor Dwight Tankersley to adopt the planters in downtown Hartselle as a community service project beginning after Depot Days.

Greg Adams, an agriscience teacher at HHS and the school FFA advisor, said this project fits in with what FFA promotes.

“We were needing a community service project for this year,” Adams said. “I read in the paper where they thought there wouldn’t be enough money to give HBA (Hartselle Beautification Association) to work on the planters in downtown. So I called up the mayor and asked him if we could take them on and he was very appreciative of the offer.”

Tankersley said this would save the city time and money because the public works department has also spent time in the past to keep up the planters.

“It will save us at least $2,700,” Tankersley said. “We’re very pleased that they want to take on this project. Coach Adams called me up and told us he wanted to do this and I thought it was a great idea.”

Adams said he happy that his group now can give back to the community with this project.

“Well, it really benefits both of us,” Adams said. “The city doesn’t have to spend money on the planters, but they will still be kept up. And we have a community project.”

Adams said his group would be maintaining the planters by adding mulch, weeding the planters and taking care of the plants.

Tankersley said the plants used in the planters are drought resistant and use only the rain they receive.