By Trish Svoboda

The Kansas State University recently received a matching grant of $25 million from the Kansas Legislature for its Agriculture Innovation Initiative.

At the beginning of the year, the state Legislature proposed a matching challenge to the university: if K-State could raise $25 million in private contributions for the initiative, the state would match that amount with $25 million. K-State successfully reached this target earlier this year, and the grant was awarded in May. The university has raised $176 million towards its objective of $210 million for enhancements to agricultural infrastructure.

The Agriculture Innovation Initiative at K-State is a comprehensive program aimed at enhancing facilities and expanding educational spaces. It focuses on fostering education, research, and industry collaborations in grain, food, animal, and agronomic sciences. The initiative is expected to attract students and faculty interested in advanced research and industry partnerships. A survey by the KDA showed that agriculture contributes close to $81 billion annually and employs 13% of the workforce in Kansas.