U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Plant Sciences Building at Washington State University (WSU), a collaboration with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), according to an Aug. 1 USDA news release. The research to be conducted in the facility will focus on improving dryland and irrigated agriculture in the Pacific Northwest.
“Robust and innovative agricultural research is a requisite to confronting many of the challenges we are facing, from feeding a growing world population and improving farming practices, to tackling the effects of a changing climate,” Vilsack said in the release. “The collaboration between USDA and Washington State University we celebrate today opens a new era in a long research partnership and pushes the boundaries of what is possible for agriculture through a commitment to ensuring our farmers are equipped with world-class research that leads to real-world, practical solutions.”
ARS and WSU hosted the event for the new building, which will be located on WSU's campus, the release reported. The WSU-ARS collaboration initially began in 1931, and it is one of the country's strongest federal-state partnerships.
The new building will house four ARS research units and WSU departments, facilitating collaboration between approximately 15 scientists from each institution, the release said. The goal is to provide practical solutions for agriculture and environmental challenges, which will benefit growers, agricultural businesses and the public.
The project reflects USDA's commitment to innovative research, highlighted in its three-year science and research strategy to transform the U.S. food system and support farmers and foresters across the nation, according to the release.
The event was attended by other leaders, including U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and ARS administrator Dr. Simon Liu. The release said this emphasized the importance of partnerships with land-grant Universities in tackling agricultural challenges.
