MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University broke ground Wednesday evening on a new farm manger’s house at its R.T. Wright Farm.
The groundbreaking advances a collaborative project with the Maryville R-II School District and setting the stage for other enhancements on the farm property to fuel the advancement of the University’s ag programming.
“This is such an important step forward for the agriculture program,” Northwest Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman said. “With the intentional bridge that we’re building between this ag campus and our main campus, the farmhouse will be a visual example of how strongly this University feels about supporting, investing and believing in the agricultural industry.”
Northwest is partnering with the Maryville school district’s Northwest Technical School to construct the 1,300-square-foot home on the Wright Farm, which is located at Highway 71 and Icon Road, about two miles north of Northwest’s main campus.
The new home will be constructed just north of the Wright Farm’s existing house, which will be demolished, and consist of three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage with an open floor concept and full basement. Excavation is scheduled to begin the week of Aug. 6 and framing will start in September. Completion of the house is anticipated next May.
Wednesday’s groundbreaking is a key step in several enhancements planned for the Wright Farm as the School of Agricultural Sciences continues to experience rapid growth with an enrollment that has swelled by 53 percent in the last seven years and is expected to increase again this fall.
Through an additional $1 million investment, Northwest is working to improve the “front door” of the Wright Farm, an active 448-acre farm that is home to beef, swine, dairy and sheep enterprises as well as row and forage crops. Improvements slated for the coming year include enhancements to the roadway, entrance, signage and fencing.
The University’s top priority for the Wright Farm, however, is an $8.5 million Agricultural Learning Center. The 29,000-square foot, multi-use building will allow for research and scholarly activities centered on crop, soil and livestock resources as well as space for processing agricultural products. It will include space for public and private functions such as producer and agricultural industry meetings, workshops, shows and career development events, and the promotion of agricultural literacy.
For more information about Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences, visit nwmissouri.edu/ag.