The CHS Foundation, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., announced on Nov. 15 a $1.5 million grant to support the South Dakota State University (SDSU) precision agriculture program and construction of the new Raven Precision Agriculture Center on campus. CHS said the gift aligns with CHS priorities around ensuring that educating the next generation of ag leadership includes technology and tradition.
SDSU is the nation’s first land-grant university to offer a bachelor’s degree and minor in precision agriculture.
“The gift in support of the Raven Precision Agriculture Center will positively impact our students and industry for decades to come,” said John Killefer, the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Endowed Dean of the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. “This commitment from the CHS Foundation illustrates the leadership role and vision they have within the agricultural industry.”
The building has 129,000 square feet of floor space that will be able to house modern precision farm equipment and will provide collaborative learning spaces for student design projects. Flexible space will give scientists from a variety of departments and industry space to collaborate on research and education.
Final construction plans are in-progress. Some ground work is expected to begin this fall, with construction starting in the spring of 2019.