Oklahoma State University celebrated the momentum behind transformational projects across OSU Agriculture during the Ferguson College of Agriculture Family Tailgate.

More than 400 faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends gathered on the Monroe Courtyard of Agricultural Hall on Sept. 19, before the Cowboy football game against Murray State.

The tailgate gave participants a look into how today’s big ideas are turning into tomorrow’s opportunities through teaching, research and Extension.

“The theme ‘Blueprints to Big Dreams’ captures exactly where OSU Agriculture is headed,” said Dr. Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “We are turning ambitious ideas into reality through projects like the Agronomy Discovery Center and the Beef Center of Excellence. These investments will have a lasting impact on students, producers and communities across our state.”

The Agronomy Discovery Center and the Beef Center of Excellence are shaping the future of OSU Agriculture.

The Agronomy Discovery Center will be a cutting-edge research and education hub that supports wheat breeding, crop science, soil fertility, forage and turfgrass research, while expanding OSU’s nationally recognized agricultural research programs. Plans include a modern greenhouse complex, research operations and field laboratory facilities, as well as the Agricultural Diagnostics and Education Center.

The Beef Center of Excellence, guided by an advisory board of industry leaders, was launched to advance beef cattle production in Oklahoma and beyond. This virtual, multidisciplinary center will unite experts in animal science, agricultural economics, range management and related fields to drive innovation, research and Extension efforts that directly benefit producers and the broader beef industry.

The Beef Center of Excellence is part of a broader Animal Excellence initiative to build on OSU’s long-standing tradition of leadership in animal agriculture. The Animal Excellence initiative includes facility and technology upgrades to modernize OSU’s animal teaching and research units, including much-needed renovations to the Swine Research and Education Center and the Sheep and Goat Center.

Tailgate participants had the opportunity to learn more about these initiatives and get a first-hand look at the plans for these cutting-edge programs and facilities.

Fourth-generation farmer J.B. Stewart of Stewart Farms, located in Keyes, Oklahoma, said he attends OSU Agriculture events like the tailgate because he is interested in what OSU is doing in agriculture, and it’s a way to give back to the life that’s been so good to him.

“I’m a donor to the Agronomy Discovery Center, and I would encourage anyone who’s associated with agriculture to support these initiatives because they are very important and very much needed in our land-grant university,” Stewart said.

To view photos from the event, please visit the Ferguson College of Agriculture Family Tailgate gallery.