The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources announce the consolidation of its research farms into four Research, Extension, and Education Centers. The Research Center moniker has been dropped.
The Thompson Research Farm of Spickard, Cornett Research Farm, formerly Forage Systems, of Linneus, and Lee Greenley Junior Memorial Research Farm of Novelty make up the Northern Missouri Research, Extension, and Education Center. Two former Research Centers turned into the Southwest REEC and the T. E. “Jake” Fisher Delta REEC. Multiple central Missouri properties are now part of the Central Missouri REEC. Jeff Case, Jay Chism, and Aaron Brandt serve as directors of the Northern Missouri, Southwest, and Fisher Delta REECs respectively. Dusty Walter is the director the Central Missouri REEC and is joined by three assistant directors due to the size and complexity of the REEC.
Four properties have been reclassified as Extension and Education Centers and are now operated by MU Extension. One of those properties is Hundley-Whaley of Albany. Others are Graves-Chapple of Rock Port, Wurdack of Cook Station, and Jefferson Farm and Garden of Columbia.
The MU College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources leadership team spent more than two years studying the needs and challenges facing the research farms in an effort to improve the operations and functions of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. Vice-Chancellor for Extension and Engagement at MU Marshall Stewart led a task force that considered the collected information and put together recommendations in a report titled Moving AES Forward. The CAFNR leadership team began implementing those recommendations last August.
As of May 1st, the restructured experiment station network was complete. The CAFNR reports the new system better aligns the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station with the strategic priorities of CAFNR and MU. It also creates financial flexibility for investments to keep MOAES at the forefront of basic, applied, and translational research.
The individual farms still have on-site leadership in the form of farm managers and senior farm managers who handle day-to-day operations. Each research farm continues to have an advisory board, and the individual REECs have also developed their own advisory boards.
There will be a newly launched monthly newsletter for each REEC, and the REECs will continue to offer field days, farm tours, workshops, and career exploration days. They will also have a presence on social media.
Traditional field days will also continue. The Northern Missouri REEC Field Day will be at the Greenley Research Farm on August 30th.
