To help the agricultural industry meet the ever-changing concerns of its stakeholders, Nationwide and The Ohio State University have collaborated to form the AgTech Innovation Hub. This innovation hub will be facilitated by the offices of innovation for both organizations as well as the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). The two central Ohio-based institutions will work together to encourage the development of new solutions that will help the agricultural ecosystem while better understanding, managing and mitigating climate risk.
Nationwide is pledging up to $2 million in initial funding to identify and execute initiatives for the Innovation Hub and plans to provide additional funding and resources in the future. The partnership was announced at the 2022 Farm Science Review.
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Center (CEARC) will provide a platform for interdisciplinary research at the nexus of horticulture and crop science, engineering, entomology, plant pathology, food science, computer science, and human nutrition/health. The $35.8 million project is scheduled for completion this fall at the CFAES Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory and will offer dynamic platforms for hands-on teaching, outreach, and engagement activities.
The multispecies animal learning center will bring people and animals together for hands-on learning, public events, and Extension programming. Practicing and teaching precision agriculture in animal production are among the motivations behind the center. So is having an appropriate setting for public discussions and research involving animal welfare and food production.
