The Illinois State University farm will buy new equipment with help from a $50,000 gift from the Illinois Farm Bureau's board of directors.
The 440-acre University Farm in Lexington will add ultra-sound imaging equipment for animal reproductivity and a used precision row-crop planter with the capability to plant in 15-inch rows.
ISU College of Applied Science and Technology Dean Todd McLoda said the money will help agriculture students, faculty, and "the invaluable farmers throughout Illinois and beyond who will benefit from the outcomes of the work at the ISU farm.”
“The ISU research farm provides today’s ag students—the next generation of agriculture professionals—opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning and farm management,” Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. said in a statement. "We are pleased to provide financial support to help the University, its faculty and its students.”
The University Farm was originally acquired in 2003 and recently expanded. ISU also cultivates an additional 175 acres in Normal.
