Rain left a two-inch puddle on the floor of the UF/IFAS Extension Gilchrist County office Wednesday. It was a fitting reminder of the Trenton structure’s age, and one remarked upon repeatedly Friday by speakers at a ceremonial groundbreaking for its future replacement, a 20,000-square-foot building adjacent to the county agriculture complex in Bell.
“This is definitely not a want,” said Bobby Crosby, Gilchrist County administrator and a champion of the project. “It’s been a need for a long time. This is going to be a great asset.”
For more than 50 years, UF/IFAS Extension personnel have worked in an office in a low-slung brick building on East Wade Street in Trenton. They’ve advocated for a replacement for more than two decades. In 2023, the state legislature passed a bill granting $1 million toward its construction. The money is funding Phase I of the project, which is set to begin in October and last 18 months: office space for two Extension agents and four staff members, an auditorium and a conference room.
Jessica Altum Cooper, director of UF/IFAS Extension Gilchrist County, said she hopes to immediately start Phase II upon completion of Phase I, but the timeline for the expansion depends on grant funding; $1.3 million is currently accounted for, but $3 million is needed.
Phase II of the project includes a commercial kitchen, expanded restrooms, a classroom and a telehealth room. The completed structure will offer enough room to accommodate the activities of 130 volunteers and 230 Florida 4-H members.
Cooper served as master of ceremonies for Friday’s groundbreaking, which was attended by UF/IFAS representatives, local and state leaders and community members.
“This event represents not just the start of a new building, but the beginning of countless opportunities for growth, education and community enrichment,” she said. “A long-held dream has become a reality today.”
At 10 times the size of the Trenton office, the Bell building will host community events, bringing together farmers, educators and residents. And the design incorporates weather hardening, so it can house line workers and emergency personnel during emergencies like hurricanes. Currently, there is no lodging space in Gilchrist County suitable for providing laundry, showers, bathrooms and a generator for first responders, and they often must drive to Lake City or Gainesville for housing.
UF/IFAS Extension Gilchrist County serves hundreds of residents each year through programming, including Florida 4-H and Master Gardener Volunteers, as well as through services like soil sampling and insect identification.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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