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Groundbreaking held for Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center

Shovels turned the first soil Tuesday for the Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center.  State and local dignitaries took part in the ceremony celebrating the beginning of the 13-million dollar education and tourism project.

Vice President Nic Shoenberger says much of the construction will start in the spring. He says, “Hopefully, by the end of March we’ll be moving some ground.  Our L-T-C (Lakeshore Technical College) portion of the Ag Education Center, the classroom setting is due to be scheduled for the next class next fall in 2017, and if all goes right, by the spring of 2018, we’ll be opened up to the general public.”

 

Shoenberger says the new center has benefited from local support, large donors, and a five-million dollar state matching grant.  During the groundbreaking, an additional 550-thousand dollars was pledged by five regional associations and two system funding banks in the Farm Credit System.  That donation puts the center over 80% of their fundraising goal.

Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch tells Brownfield she’s excited about the broad reach the center will have.  “This is going to be a destination for the Midwest, and not just Wisconsin, so you’re going to have families, both students and parents alike, even grandparents learning about where their food comes from.”

When completed, visitors will have an opportunity to watch live births of dairy calves about three times a day.  The  Grotegut Farm is a partner, and will arrange to have a portion of their approximately eight calves a day born at the Wisconsin Agricultural Education Center.  The board will also manage educational exhibits about Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture, tracing food from field to fork, advances in food production, and balancing farming and the environment.  The 29,000 square foot discovery center will also have conference facilities.