MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University and the Northwest Foundation have received a $20,000 gift from the Gary G. Taylor Charitable Trust in support of an Agricultural Learning Center planned for construction at the University’s R.T. Wright Farm.
“We are pleased to be able to contribute to a project that we believe will greatly benefit the region and fulfill a need Gary Taylor was passionate about,” said Shannon Moore, vice president and trust relationship manager for U.S. Bank, while she and Rex Brod, market president for U.S. Bank, presented a check to Northwest representatives.
Northwest’s thriving Department of Agricultural Sciences is experiencing rapid growth with more than 500 students – or about 9 percent of the University’s undergraduate population – enrolled in its agriculture programs. Those students are gaining real-life, hands-on experience at the 448-acre Wright Farm, which is home to beef, swine, dairy, poultry and sheep herds as well as row, silage and hay crops.
“Northwest is leading the way in this region in terms of educating future agriculture professionals, and our students will continue to be in demand as the field evolves because of the hands-on experiences they receive,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “With the support of partnerships and gifts such as that of the Gary G. Taylor Charitable Trust, the Agricultural Learning Center will only deepen our students’ knowledge base and serve as a gathering place to students and professionals throughout the region and beyond.”
When completed, the estimated $8 million, 24,000-square-foot Ag Learning Center will further enhance Northwest’s agriculture programming. The center will serve as a marquis multipurpose facility, providing laboratory resources and research to supplement and enhance the academic curriculum. The space also will allow for greater use of farm crop, soil and livestock resources for research and scholarly activities.
Additionally, Northwest expects the facility will connect and benefit surrounding communities, providing space for public and private functions such as agricultural producer meetings, workshops, shows and contests. The University also is forming numerous partnerships to support the facility.
The Northwest Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, is responsible for receiving, investing, stewarding and disbursing private support on behalf of the donors of Northwest for the benefit of the University, its students, faculty, staff and alumni. The Northwest Foundation is governed by a 30-member volunteer board of directors and staffed by members of Northwest’s Office of University Advancement.