Digging Deeper...
/In 2019 the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) set out on a “Drive To Distinction.” That’s what Mizzou leaders and academics dubbed its six-year strategic plan. “Fast-changing environmental, economic, technological and sociological forces, including food needs, climate change, agriculture advancements and health demands for humans, animals and plants are transforming our future,” said Dr. Christopher Daubert, CAFNR’s Vice Chancellor and Dean. “These changes will shape our research, what and how students learn training and community connections.” The “road trip” was planned to get in front of these needs and developments, changes and challenges. Based on the milestones met so far, the trip has been smooth. “Missouri,” Dr. Daubert points out, “is fortunate to have strong agriculture, natural resource, financial and healthcare industries as allied partners to provide CAFNR, as part of Missouri’s land-grant university, an opportunity to affect the lives of every citizen by providing unbiased, relevant and accessible education, information and resources.”
By Dennis McLaughlin, McLaughlin Writers LLC – Sources: Drive to Distinction: CAFNR Strategic Plan 2019-2025, cafnrweb@missouri.edu); Dr. Chris Daubert, CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean; Dr. Chad Higgins, Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement; Dr. Rob Kallenbach, CAFNR Associate Dean for Extension; Dr. Bryan Garton, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs.
CAFNR Tiger Roars
Two vice chancellors at the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources charted the progress CAFNR has made in the last few years toward maintaining and solidifying its position as a “perennial research powerhouse” in the agricultural sectors of the state, national and global economies. They were speaking recently to members of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City during its April meeting and luncheon held in the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Board Room at Union Station.
Dr. Chris Daubert, CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean, elaborated on the point that the University of Missouri is recognized as a top-tier research institution, with schools/colleges in medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, law and agriculture all on the same campus. “MU even has a nuclear reactor on campus,” he explained. “MU’s ability for research collaboration with other universities and institutions is nearly unmatched.” MU generates $5 billion in economic impact annually, and supports or sustains nearly 50,000 jobs while producing more than $280 million in state and local tax revenue.
CAFNR is the centerpiece of MU as a land grant college, said Dr. Daubert. He noted CAFNR is ranked among the Top 15 programs in the world for animal and plant science research. “Our CAFNR research expenditures are expected to reach $76 million in FY2024, up from $60 million in FY2022.”
Land-grant colleges are institutions that provide research-based programs and resources for residents within their state. There is at least one land-grant institution in every state and territory of the U.S. and the District of Columbia. Each one receives benefits designated by state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, through the Morrill Acts of 1862, 1890 and 1994, to support research, education and extension programs that enhance local agriculture and food production. The original mission of these institutions, notes the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities, as set forth in the first Morrill Act, was to teach agriculture, military tactics, and the mechanic arts as well as classical studies so members of the working classes could obtain a liberal, practical education.
The way Dr. Higgins sees it, MU Extension and Engagement has a mission to serve the state with relevant research-based information and programs that address the identified grand challenges of agricultural growth and stewardship; educational access and excellence; economic opportunity; and health/wellbeing. He notes MU Extension’s strong and historic partnership with CAFNR. “This relationship is critical to disseminate needed agricultural research and educational programs across Missouri that help our producers stay profitable while using environmentally sound practices.” Dr. Higgins further explains that this same type of partnership can be employed to assist all MU colleges and schools – along with the three other universities within the UM System – to reach Missourians with relevant resources to help the population thrive.
“Because MU Extension and Engagement sits outside of a specific MU college or school,” says Dr. Higgins, “any/all academic unit, school, and/or college can utilize the Extension network that has a presence in all 114 counties and St. Louis.” This campus collaboration along with rural and urban partners ensure that the land-grant mission can be felt in every corner of the state. “It reaches audiences with needed research resources, educational programs, and information.”
CAFNR Goals and Strategies
The goal of CAFNR’s Drive to Distinction, said the vice chancellor, is to double the value of agriculture in Missouri by 2030 – while sustaining the state’s natural resources. Key objectives include these:
Growing the economy by collaborating with stake holders to create new science bases to improve business pipelines.
Providing life-long learning opportunities that build the state’s agricultural economy and sustain its natural resources.
Contributing to a healthier Missouri by sharing MU science and discoveries with the community.
“Doubling the economic impact of agriculture in Missouri by 2030 can only be accomplished if we all work together,” said Dr. Rob Kallenbach, CAFNR associate dean for extension. All of CAFNR’s specialists and researchers are focused on this goal. “And that has taken numerous forms,” he points out, “including encouraging value-added processing through workshops and resources; helping producers and landowners manage their production more profitably; increasing focus on urban agriculture by building a team of consulting specialists in this area; providing information and trainings on estate planning to ensure successful transition of farmland from generation to generation; and encouraging cultivation of specialty horticultural, forestry and meat products and providing the expertise to aid producers in this pursuit.”
When asked if the strategic direction for the initial phase of Drive to Distinction might be changed significantly going into 2026, Dr. Daubert said, “Beginning in fall 2024, CAFNR will begin planning for its strategic future for 2026-2030. We will not be complacent, but rather will continue pursuing excellence for Missouri agriculture and natural resources.”
Strategic priorities in place to reach these goals include these:
Ensuring student success
Advancing research and innovation
Empowering Missourians
Showcasing CAFNR’s leadership
Cultivating a diverse and inclusive community
Championing global citizenship and engagement
How’s It Going?
‘So far, so good’ would be an understatement. CAFNR’s student enrollment is at its highest since 2015, and faculty numbers are at their highest level since 2015. “Significantly, student retention rate,” said Dr. Daubert, “is at an all-time high of 93%.”
Crunching the numbers further, Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs, Dr. Bryan Garton, pointed out that the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has experienced an undergraduate enrollment increase of 5.5% over the past two years. “In fall 2023, the college welcomed over 700 newstudents,” he said. “It’s the third largest class in history.” New students include freshmen and transfer students new to the university. Of CAFNR’s 14 degree programs, Dr. Garton added, those experiencing the greatest increase in enrollment were Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Nutrition & Exercise Physiology, and Environmental Sciences.
On the business side of things, the picture is just as encouraging. “Research awards reached $115 million in FY2023; an all-time high,” Dr. Daubert reported. Research expenditures are projected to double this year, climbing to $76 million. And, the dean was pleased to note, “Faculty citations are up 50% since 2018.” That’s why the Tiger is roaring.
“We are in a period of growth in CAFNR, thanks to the guidance of our Drive to Distinction Strategic Plan,” said Dean Daubert. “We are pleased to be showcasing those investments in buildings, equipment, centers, technology, and much more as part of our CAFNR Momentum campaign on LinkedIn.”
Such infrastructure and development projects include these:
Buildings
Meat Science Laboratory – Consolidates processing and retail into one, modern facility. Provides space to industry for training and workforce development.
Center for Energy Innovation – Unites collaborators in one space to innovate and tackles sustainable energy concerns by coupling production and grid security with policy guidance.
New Centers for Innovation
Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems – Establishes MU as a premiere institution for conservation, offering faculty expertise, public-facing programs and student scholarship experiences.
Digital Agriculture Research and Extension Center (DAREC) – Tests new technologies for advanced production. It houses first autonomous tractor in the Midwest
Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Investments
Learning Center, Horticultural and Agroforestry Research
Farm, New Franklin – Provides an anchoring facility to the MU Center for Agroforestry; Creates a workshop and event space for the communityRoy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory, Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center, Portageville – Offers soil, water analyses and plant tissue testing; advances research and innovation.
Current strategic planning processes have identified ways to build better communities, say CAFNR leaders. But they’ve also identified numerous issues to tackle. “We designed a plan to make a difference by asking more from ourselves,” says Dr. Daubert, “with the goal of benefitting students, faculty, staff, alumni, industry partners, legislators and citizens.”