Vincennes University Growing Future Farming Students
Vincennes is Indiana's oldest university.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowVincennes University sees the future of agriculture as an opportunity for its students, and it goes beyond planting seed and harvesting crops. The university will hold a grand opening ceremony Monday for its new Agricultural Center. VU says the 45,000 square foot facility will provide enough space for faculty and students to foster innovation and collaboration between several programs within the university.
“The new Ag center will help all our students by providing exposure to activities and learning experiences across majors,” said VU/Purdue Agriculture Program Coordinator Chuck Mansfield.
The university says the ag center will help prepare students for the rapidly changing world of food production, including changes to consumer demand and adaptation to on-farm technologies.
“We have a state-of-the-art teaching lab with the capability for doing tissue culture, growth chamber for differential growth environments, lab equipment for soil chemical analysis and determination of water quality parameters,” said Mansfield. He says proximity to Southwest Purdue Ag Center will provide opportunities to students to interact with Purdue research activities.
The VU Agriculture Center also houses the John Deere TECH Program, which enables students to learn using the latest technology. “Students learn on the latest equipment and will be career-ready when they complete the program,” VU Diesel Program Coordinator Tim Hale said.
This fall the university is launching an Urban Agriculture concentration where students will get an opportunity to learn about growing food in the city, such as a rooftop garden. The classes will focus on hydroponics, aquaponics, gardening, and soil health.