News Release
June 5, 2008

Final phase of construction begins at UW agriculture research facility

Earth and utility work began this week in the final phase of construction at the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) near Lingle.

Construction of congregate living quarters and a wet laboratory is expected to be completed by November. The $1.4 million construction will end 11 years of planning and building of the University of Wyoming’s 3,467-acre center, with its emphasis on sustainable integrated research.

Director of research Jim Krall noted the emphasis at SAREC is on integrated and systems research, to foster collaboration from UW faculty members and others, to study the concepts of sustainability at the production unit scale and on a facility that represents all the land use activities of the region.

A review team in 1999 of farmers, ranchers, agribusiness representatives, a county commissioner, a former legislator and UW faculty members recommended in 2000 the university build the SAREC facility to replace the existing Archer and Torrington centers to complement research and extension centers in Powell and Sheridan.

The trustees in 2003 approved the purchase of the former ranch and also approved the sale of the UW Archer and Torrington R&E centers, with proceeds used to purchase property for SAREC.

Land and irrigation information includes:

• Rain fed cropland – 1,523 acres; 747 to 793 acres each year

• Irrigated cropland – 349 acres

• Rangeland – 1,880 acres

• 19 acres of irrigated land is organic

• Approximately 40 acres of dry land is organic

One the Web: http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/uwexpstn/SAREC.asp

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Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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