VINCENNES, Ind. – Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch praised Vincennes University for its impact on Indiana’s agriculture as the University unveiled its new Agricultural Center.

“Agriculture in Indiana is a $31 billion industry. We continue to lead in the Midwest with the best agriculture production and yields because of Vincennes University’s commitment to training our future farmers. Governor Eric Holcomb and I are so proud of VU’s contributions for what VU is doing not only in this part of the state, but for the entire state of Indiana,” Crouch said.

Crouch, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler, VU President Chuck Johnson, and Purdue University Dean of Agriculture Karen Plaut, and several others cut the ribbon on Aug. 5, opening the stunning 45,000-square-foot facility.

The Agricultural Center will house the University’s VU/PU Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness, and John Deere Tech, and Precision Agriculture programs.

VU is one of 16 colleges in the nation with an exclusive John Deere partnership that educates technicians using the company’s latest technology.

“Partnerships that are going to drive the agriculture industry forward are important,” Kettler said. “We have a wonderful example of business and academia working together with the opening of the Agricultural Center at Vincennes University. For the young people who are coming up through FFA, 4H and other organizations, look at what they have to look forward to, and to be able to come to Vincennes University, have a great education, and participate in a wonderful program.”

At VU, the next generation of farmers and agriculture professionals are preparing in the classrooms and the fields on how to meet consumers’ changing needs, address environmental challenges, and adapt to the technological changes that are transforming the industry. Students are learning innovation farming solutions, and gaining knowledge on how to utilize and maintain the latest technology, including drones.

The Vincennes University Agriculture Center is located along U.S. 41 at 4207 N. Purdue Road just north of Vincennes. The facility features 13 wooded acres, modern learning spaces, a greenhouse, and bee colonies.

“It is a great facility not only because of the technology in the rooms and labs, but because of the partnerships it represents,” Johnson said. “Partnerships with great higher education institutions, partnerships with great employers, and many partnerships within our own university.”

The Agriculture Center will house Purdue University’s Food Safety Training hub.

VU and Purdue are celebrating a 60-plus-year partnership. The relationship began with agriculture and has expanded to other areas, including engineering, tourism, and hospitality.

“We are celebrating a continued relationship and strengthening a relationship that we already have,” Plaut said. “Then you look at the growth of these programs and the growth of what we can do for the state of Indiana starting with the technical programs Vincennes University offers, such as the diesel program. There are the associate degree programs, and you can come to Purdue for the four-year programs. All of that strengthens agriculture in Indiana across many different areas. We don’t all duplicate what we do. We complement what each other does.”

Purdue and VU are closely connected. They collaborate in the VU/Purdue Cooperative Agriculture Transfer program. The Southwest Purdue Ag Center also sits near the Agricultural Center.

“Vincennes is the oldest university in Indiana and to have that partnership with Purdue University, the sixth-best agriculture college in the country and 12th best in the world, for over 60 years is incredible,” Crouch said. “To have that kind of collaboration between two universities, both doing everything they can to lift up agriculture in the state of Indiana, which for our Hoosier farming families is absolutely tremendous.”

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper, the Aviation Technology Center and American Sign Language program in Indianapolis, Early College Career and Technical Education Centers, and additional sites such as the Gene Haas Training and Education Center in Lebanon, the Logistics Training and Education Center in Plainfield, and the Gibson County Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics in Fort Branch. A leader in developing Early Colleges statewide, VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation.

In addition to offering a wide range of associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and science, and special education/elementary education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 35 other states, and 17 countries. Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the United States. William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information is available at www.vinu.edu.

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Vincennes University Newsroom

MARCIA MARTINEZ, University Life Reporter & Sports Information Director
   812-888-4164 office, 314-599-1519 cell, VUNews@vinu.edu, mmartinez@vinu.edu
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, Department of University Relations, www.vinu.edu/news/newsroom