By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-1773 x 281Source:
George Hochmuth (850) 875-7100
MARIANNA/QUINCY—Building dedication ceremonies in Marianna on Oct. 21 and ground- breaking ceremonies in Quincy on Oct. 22 will highlight the modernization and consolidation of the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center in both locations.
New facilities at Marianna, which include a research laboratory/office, cattle show pavilion and maintenance barn, will be dedicated on Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m. by Michael Martin, vice president for agriculture and natural resources with the UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Joining Martin for the dedication ceremonies will be state Sen. Pat Thomas, D-Quincy, and state Rep. Bev Kilmer, R-Marianna.
The 5,340-square foot facilities were funded by the Florida Legislature. Construction of the $2,053,000 project began in December 1998.
The following day, ground-breaking ceremonies in Quincy for a new laboratory and office building with greenhouses and shade houses, will be conducted at 10 a.m. by Martin and Thomas. The new 27,780-square-foot facilities in Quincy are expected to be completed by the summer of 2001. Funds for the $5,700,000 structures were provided by the Florida Legislature.
Martin said the new facilities will enhance research and education programs at the North Florida REC, which now includes operations at Quincy, Marianna, Monticello and Live Oak. However, to improve operating efficiency, the North Florida REC facility in Monticello is being phased out and consolidated with programs in Quincy, he said.
Martin said UF/IFAS faculty at the North Florida REC in Quincy will focus on plant science, including plant breeding, plant disease, insect and nematode pests, forestry, soil science and rural development. He said these programs are designed to improve production of agronomic crops and forages as well as vegetables, fruit crops and ornamentals.
Meanwhile, research and education programs at the Marianna branch of the North Florida REC will continue to focus on cattle and swine research, peanut breeding, forage production and agricultural economics, Martin said.
George Hochmuth, director of the North Florida REC, said the new facilities at Marianna and Quincy are part of an overall modernization and consolidation program.
“They will significantly improve the efficiency of our research and education programs in plant and animal agriculture,” he said. “They will allow us to update our physical plant with the new facilities we need to serve Florida agriculture and the citizens of this region.”
Martin said the consolidation and modernization of facilities and programs at the North Florida REC reflects the UF/IFAS commitment to the new Florida FIRST (Focusing IFAS Resources on Solutions for Tomorrow) strategic planning effort. The program was initiated in May 1999 to identify major research and education objectives for the new millennium.
“Florida FIRST will help expand domestic and international business, enhance natural resources, provide consumers with a wide variety of safe, affordable foods, support community development, maintain a sustainable food and fiber system, and improve the quality of life in general,” Martin said.
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