Key Takeaways:
- Farm Foundation opened its Innovation and Education Campus in Libertyville, Illinois, on September 28, 2024.
- The new campus includes a 4,000-square-foot Innovation and Education Center (IEC), designed to blend with the site’s historic farm structures.
- The facility will host programs like AG101 Bootcamp, providing hands-on learning experiences for stakeholders in the food and agriculture sectors.
- The campus serves as a meeting hub to foster collaboration on agriculture’s most pressing challenges.
- Demonstrations from Beck’s Hybrids, John Deere, and others highlighted innovations in agriculture during the event.
Farm Foundation Opens New Innovation and Education Campus in Libertyville
Farm Foundation marked the grand opening of its Innovation and Education Campus in Libertyville, Illinois, on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Despite the blustery weather, nearly 150 attendees gathered to celebrate the launch of this new hub designed to foster collaboration and innovation in the food and agriculture sectors. The event was held at 31330 North Milwaukee Avenue, where the newly built Innovation and Education Center (IEC) now stands.
A New Space for Learning and Collaboration
The IEC is a 4,000-square-foot facility that integrates modern design with the historic elements of the property, including a barn and farmhouse that once functioned as part of a grain and livestock farm. The center includes multimedia rooms, flexible gathering spaces, and a demonstration kitchen, all designed to engage visitors and provide unique learning experiences in agriculture. The outdoor fields will be used for hands-on programs such as the AG101 Bootcamp, which will help stakeholders from various sectors better understand agricultural processes.
The campus was chosen from over 40 locations in the Chicagoland area. According to Farm Foundation, the site’s accessibility, natural beauty, and the variety of uses it offers made it the perfect location for their new facility. The space aims to bring together key players in the agriculture industry to develop solutions for some of the sector’s most significant challenges.
Opening Remarks and Keynote Speakers
The grand opening ceremony began with an introduction by Illinois State FFA officers, followed by remarks from Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler. The event also featured speeches from notable figures in the agriculture sector, including former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Michael Johanns. Johanns highlighted the potential of the IEC to serve as a hub for collaboration, stating, “This building will house experts and advocates working together to build ideas and solutions to take action to change agriculture for generations to come.”
Ambassador Darci Vetter, PepsiCo’s head of global public policy, spoke about the role of innovation in the agri-food supply chain, while Chancellor Robert Jones from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing agriculture’s complex challenges. “The challenges that we face are too large and too complex for any one entity to solve alone,” Jones said.
In-Field Demonstrations and Celebrations
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, visitors explored the campus, including several in-field demonstrations showcasing agricultural innovations. Companies like Beck’s Hybrids, InnerPlant, John Deere, and Syngenta displayed their technologies, while the University of Illinois Center for Digital Ag and Purdue Extension UAV presented advancements in digital agriculture. Food samples from local vendors and companies, including Eli’s Cheesecake and Kraft Heinz, were available for attendees to enjoy.
The Innovation and Education Center will serve as Farm Foundation’s new headquarters, replacing its current office space in Oak Brook. The project, which began construction in August 2024, was completed in approximately 12 months with the help of architecture firm Kahler Slater, project manager JLL, and general contractor Summit Design + Build.
