Expanded MU Extension facility creates new opportunities for education, technology and community connection.
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The new education building at Jefferson Farm and Garden, Columbia. -
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Inside the new education building at Jefferson Farm and Garden, Columbia. -
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The new sheltered, wheelchair-accessible bee house at Jefferson Farm is home to five unique two-level Slovenian-style rear-entry hive systems. Crafted for ergonomic design, they eliminate the need for heavy lifting and minimize stress on the bees.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Jefferson Farm and Garden Extension and Education Center already draws crowds for events like the Tomato Festival and Butterfly Festival. Now, with a newly expanded education center, University of Missouri Extension is preparing the Columbia-area farm for a larger role as a year-round hub for classes, workshops and community programs.
The upgraded facility on East New Haven Road gives MU Extension more room for hands-on learning while also making many Boone County programs easier for local residents to reach than the county extension center west of Columbia off Interstate 70, says Charles Holland, director of Jefferson Farm and Garden and of MU Extension operations in Boone County.
The newly completed education building expansion increased capacity from roughly 80 learners to more than 110 and added updated instructional technology, flexible classroom space and indoor-outdoor teaching capabilities. A large roll-up door allows demonstrations involving equipment, drones and other agricultural technologies to move easily between the classroom and the farm.
Jefferson Farm and Garden partnered with the Boone County MU Extension council to obtain $350,000 in initial funding for the building from the Boone County Commission through an American Rescue Plan Act grant.
The 67-acre MU Extension educational farm focuses on agriculture, gardening, conservation and natural resources education. The site hosts workshops, field trips, demonstrations and festivals designed to connect people with food systems, agriculture and the outdoors.
Holland says the expansion reflects how MU Extension facilities are evolving to meet changing community and workforce needs.
“We’re creating an accessible farm for all,” Holland said. “This farm is a state asset and hopefully we can make an impact on the state as far as workforce development.”
Many programs previously held at the Boone County extension center are expected to move to Jefferson Farm and Garden, including Master Gardener and Master Naturalist meetings, pesticide applicator training, cooking and nutrition classes, and programs tied to emerging agricultural technologies.
The farm’s location next to MU’s Digital Agriculture Research and Extension Center (DAREC) also positions it as a site where agriculture increasingly overlaps with engineering, robotics, computer science and drone technology.
“It’s not just hooking up a tractor anymore,” he said, noting the growing role of drones, robotics and automation in modern agriculture and the need for skilled workers to operate, maintain and support those systems.
Holland said many students interested in modern agriculture today come from engineering and technology backgrounds rather than traditional farming.
Jefferson Farm and Garden is also expanding accessibility through features such as a new accessible beehive designed for people who may have difficulty lifting traditional hive boxes. The hive uses horizontally sliding frames and will support educational programs including Heroes to Hives.
In addition to educational programming, the farm continues to grow as a destination for public events. Its annual Tomato Festival showcases hundreds of tomato varieties, while the Butterfly Festival brings families and gardeners together to learn about pollinators and native habitats.
Learn more about Jefferson Farm and Garden.
Holland says the education building at Jefferson Farm will be available to rent for events. For details, contact MU Extension in Boone County at 573-445-9792 or BooneCo@missouri.edu.
Butterfly Festival offers look at upgraded facility
One of the next major public events at Jefferson Farm and Garden will be the ninth annual Butterfly Festival on June 13. The free event runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes tours of the butterfly house and gardens, children’s activities, pollinator exhibits, food vendors and a plant sale by the Heart of Missouri Master Gardeners.
The festival also will give visitors a chance to experience the upgraded education center and expanded facilities firsthand.