USDA officials touring UVM's Horticulture Research and Education Center and Joseph L. Hills Agricultural Science Building. Photos by Glenn Russell.
Vermont Business Magazine US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and University of Vermont officials on Wednesday toured the future home of the Food Systems Research Center, which will be located in the Joseph L. Hills Agricultural Science Building on the UVM campus. The tour was part of a two-day visit to UVM.
The research center—a collaboration between UVM and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS)—focuses its work on understanding all facets of the regional food system, from production agriculture to food security, with a special focus on small- and medium-sized farms.
“I am excited to see that this important collaboration continues to grow,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “This partnership with ARS builds on UVM’s expertise in sustainability, health and environment, and it illustrates the positive and lasting impact that research and collaboration can have on our society. Positioning the center in the heart of our campus reinforces the high priority placed on research involving Vermont’s farms and food systems.”
“This is a unique opportunity for ARS to partner with UVM and deliver scientific solutions to food-related and agricultural challenges,” said Simon Liu, Ph.D., Associate Administrator at Agricultural Research Service. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to innovation, partnership and ensuring that the U.S. food supply is safe.”
In June, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) joined UVM leaders to announce $11 million of federal funding that he secured to support the center’s work. “When the pandemic struck, Vermonters turned to their local farms for food security. We’ve always relied on our local food systems in our state. Farms are an economic driver for our rural communities and local food is a defining feature of Vermont. We must continue to cultivate our food systems so our state can thrive and weather future emergencies. We must also ensure that it is equitable and accessible to all,” Leahy said at the time. “As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee I will continue to support the Food Systems Research Center in promoting the viability of our farms and the accessibility of our locally produced food.”
Leahy helped to establish the UVM/ARS Food Systems Research Center with funding of $3 million in 2019.
This work is a clear example of the ways UVM goes about fulfilling its land grant mission in service to the State of Vermont, which is one of the pillars that the university’s Amplifying Our Impact strategic vision is built around. The others are ensuring student success and investing in UVM’s distinctive research strengths.
As part of the collaboration, USDA scientists will work on campus alongside university researchers from related disciplines. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Leslie Parise says this is the first and only ARS research unit designed specifically to study diversified food systems and the smaller farms that contribute to those systems. “We are proud to be leading this work at UVM and believe there is much the rest of the world can learn from the successful small and medium sized farms that characterize Vermont agriculture,” Parise said.
The Hills building is scheduled to undergo a major renovation starting in January, which is expected to last 18 months. The Food Systems Research Center will be physically located in the fully renovated building.
As part of their two-day visit to UVM, USDA officials also met with Garimella, groups of university academic leaders, UVM Extension, and sustainability and nutrition researchers; and toured other university facilities like Jeffords Hall, the Horticulture Research and Education Center and Terrill Hall.
About the University of Vermont
Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. UVM’s strengths align with the most pressing needs of our time: the health of our societies and the health of our environment. Our size—large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study—allows us to pursue these interconnected issues through cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Providing an unparalleled educational experience for our students, and ensuring their success, are at the core of what we do. As one of the nation’s first land grant universities, UVM advances Vermont—and the broader society—through the discovery and application of new knowledge.
UVM is derived from the Latin “Universitas Viridis Montis” (University of the Green Mountains)
Source: BURLINGTON, Vt. — UVM 9.30.2021
