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