Parma Research Center 2

Parma Research Center 2

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
" The college really wants to make sure that we are servicing this area better and so that's why we are pushing forward with the design and fundraising for this new facility."

The University of Idaho Parma Research Center is almost 100 years old and is due to be modernized. Mark McGuire ,Director of Agricultural Experiment stations for the U of I., and he says it's a public/private partnership that will provide the $7 million needed to upgrade the facility. "So we're hoping that the college will put in a portion of the funding and then we will work with our industry support for a portion and then go to the state legislature for another portion. So it's a public/private partnership if you will in finding the funds for this building."

Mcguire says good connections with the local ag industry are vital to keeping the research centers operating. "If we don't have good connections with the industry that's here then we're not serving the citizens of Idaho for their taxpayer dollars well and so we continue to try to maintain and improve any relationships we have with the local industry as a local ag industry because that's critical for the justification of what we do." Idaho has nine College of Agricultural and life science research centers serving 42 Idaho counties

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