News

Wisconsin ag ed center gaining support

An $11.6 million agriculture education center in Wisconsin is coming closer to fruition.

Executive Director Melissa Bender tells Brownfield the project started in 2010 as individuals in the agricultural community wanted to create an interactive way to educate consumers about food production.  “In 2012, they completed a feasibility study and that showed us that we could have an educational center here and we could run it right off of ticket sales, product sales, and food sales from the center.”

She says the group was able to raise almost a half a million dollars in two months and just passed 70 percent of their capital campaign goal.  “We finalized our building plans just about a month ago and we’ve also been really working hard trying to finalize those themes, those topics, those exhibits that we will have within the center.”

Bender says 18 acres have been purchased off a main highway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in eastern Wisconsin. The facility could open as early as the spring of 2018 if enough funding is secured by the end of this year.

AUDIO: Interview with Melissa Bender