The North Dakota Soybean Council has made a $750,000 commitment to the greenhouse complex at the Agricultural Experiment Station’s main station on the campus of NDSU. The council approved the pledge during its April 17 board meeting.
“This commitment is important to the completion of our greenhouse facilities, which will be as exceptional as any you will find anywhere,” said NDSU President Joseph A. Chapman. “The research conducted will have a profound impact on North Dakota’s agriculture industry for many years to come.”
According to Dennis Feiken, chair of the North Dakota Soybean Council, valuable soybean research is expected to result from the greenhouse facility at NDSU. “As always, our board is serious and very committed to quality soybean research for our North Dakota soybean producers,” said Feiken of LaMoure, N.D. “Research continues to be a top priority for our board.”
“The entire Experiment Station greenhouse project is a true public-private partnership,” explained D.C. Coston, vice president for agriculture and University Extension. “This commitment by the council will allow us to have some specialized capabilities that will allow our researchers to do exciting, important research that will place North Dakota at the leading edge. It will assure the long-term productivity of agriculture in our state.”
The North Dakota Soybean Council’s commitment comes through the NDSU Development Foundation’s current $3 million campaign, which is part of the university’s efforts to raise a total of $5 million in private contributions for the ongoing project.
“The council is serious about soybean research, and serious about soybean research being done at NDSU,” said Jared Hagert of Emerado, N.D., who is the council’s treasurer.
“In the future, the council very much looks forward to excellent, cutting-edge soybean research proposals coming before the council from the NDSU campus faculty,” said Monte Peterson, vice chair of the North Dakota Soybean Council and chair of the council’s Research Committee. “We are confident the new NDSU greenhouse program will better serve the soybean farmers in North Dakota.”
Soybean farmers across the state are represented on the North Dakota Soybean Council Board, which oversees a grass roots promotion, research, education and marketing program funded by soybean check-off dollars. The mission is to create an environment through investing soybean check-off funds to increase profit potential for North Dakota soybean producers.
May 7, 2009