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K-State College of Ag progressing on facilities overhaul

The dean of the Kansas State College of Agriculture says the new Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation will be a hub for research in food safety and security.

Ernie Minton tells Brownfield…

“We need to advance our capabilities in food production, safe food processing, etcetera, to keep a stable, safe, affordable food supply in the U.S. That’s the real impact,” he says.

He says 30% of the space will house collaborative teams across multiple disciplines.

“The legislature just funded the Kansas Water Institute and we anticipate some personnel from that, the (Institute for) Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics will have some presence there as well,” he says. “Up to 10% of that 30% can be dedicated to public-private partnerships.”

The project is part of a larger $210 million Ag Innovation Initiative that also includes a new Agronomy Research and Innovation Center and a new event center and competition arena. The effort began in 2023 as part of a 3 to 1 funding match for building facilities from the state of Kansas. K-State received $25 million toward the project and is guaranteed an additional $25 million as part of its fundraising efforts.

Construction is expected to begin this fall. The entire project is slated for completion in the fall of 2026.