The Pea Ridge Agriculture: Power, Structural & Technical Systems pathway is designed to give students real-world, hands-on experience in welding and workplace-ready skills in the trades. This year, Mr. Davis’s advanced agriculture classes took on their most ambitious project yet: building a full-size hay hauler trailer from the ground up.
The project began in November 2024 and was completed in April. Students built a custom, hand-welded gooseneck trailer — 32 feet long with capacity for eight hay bales, electric brakes, and heavy-duty 7,000-pound axles. It was successfully sold to 808 Ranch, marking another successful student-led sale for the Agri program.
“This is the biggest trailer we've ever built,” said Mr. Davis. “The students were involved in every part of the process — design, fabrication, welding, and final touches.”
One student, Evan Wilkerson, was chosen by Mr. Davis to handle the most critical welds. With six years of welding experience already under his belt, Evan was more than ready to take on the responsibility
“I’ve learned so much in this class — not just about welding, but about leadership and teamwork,” Evan shared. “Mr. Davis trusted me to do the important welds, and that pushed me to take ownership of the work. I’ve learned that being comfortable in your welding position really matters, and that communication is key when working as a team.”
Last year, the Agri classes built and sold several smaller trailers and completed repair projects brought in by community members. But this year’s hay hauler marks a new milestone in scale and complexity.
The Agriculture pathway at Pea Ridge High School continues to provide students with meaningful, career-connected learning opportunities. Programs like this give students a firsthand look at the trades, open doors to future careers, and teach life skills they’ll carry with them well beyond high school — all while having fun and building something real.
Written by: Kailynda Hackler