They Waited 33 Years Now There’s A $19 Million Arena

https://youtube.com/embed/A2XXjy1cpv0

Want to see what got built on an old DeSoto County landfill? Learn more and plan a visit here: https://www.desotocountyms.gov/882/Agri-Ed-Center For 33 years it sat closed, promised to the community as a park. Today it is the DeSoto County Agri-Education Center, a 200-acre, $19 million facility on Starlanding Road in Nesbit, built without a tax increase. In this episode of Southaven Business Beat, host Cristan Engelke sits down with director Michael Lee, a former county supervisor, to walk through what is actually out there: a 2,000-seat indoor arena, an outdoor covered arena, stall barns, a teaching kitchen, a greenhouse, walking and equestrian trails, and programs from 4-H to Master Gardeners to Mississippi State University Extension. We cover how the vision started, why the stables have no horses on site yet, the livestock shows for cattle, sheep, chickens, and show rabbits, the plan for a fishing setup on the property, and what surprised Michael most about running a build this size for the county. If you live in Southaven, Horn Lake, Hernando, Olive Branch, or anywhere across DeSoto County, North Mississippi, the Memphis metro, or the wider Mid-South, this is a facility in your backyard most people have never toured. CHAPTERS 0:00 Coming Up 0:09 Meet Michael Lee and the Agri-Education Center 1:02 Where the vision started 6:11 Sponsor: Pure Focus Media 7:02 Master Gardeners, the greenhouse, and pollinators 10:35 Events and calendar 12:05 Barrel racing and rodeo culture 13:13 Touring the grounds, arena, and teaching kitchen 14:51 County operations and emergency role 16:52 The fishing rodeo idea 19:29 Sponsor: Wisdom Integrators 20:24 Stables and the outdoor arena 22:26 Livestock and show rabbits 24:50 If budget were no object 27:08 What surprised Michael most 28:16 Setup challenges and county requirements 33:29 Education programs and 4-H 36:07 How to visit 37:02 Subscribe and outro This episode is brought to you by Wisdom Integrators, the strategic tech partner helping businesses work smarter through workflow automation, process improvement, and digital transformation. Book a consultation at wisdomintegrators.com. Southaven Business Beat is produced in partnership with the Southaven Chamber of Commerce and Pure Focus Media. Ready to grow your brand with video? Visit purefocus.media. Plan your visit to the Agri-Education Center or book the space: https://www.desotocountyms.gov/882/Agri-Ed-Center Subscribe so you do not miss an episode. Here is our gear we use on Southaven Business Beat. Canon 5RC: https://amzn.to/4cyjaar Canon 24-70mm 2.8: https://amzn.to/4sHgpcZ Canon R6: https://amzn.to/48fJo0h Canon 70-200mm 2.8: https://amzn.to/4sMctro RODE Podmic: https://amzn.to/3Od9Gtm RODE Rodecaster Pro II: https://amzn.to/4dU0QLo Godox LA200D: https://amzn.to/4exZYMz #affilatelink