Wheat center established, extension area's reorganized

Thursday, January 8, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb -- The opening this spring of the new "Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center" near Grant, in Perkins County, means local and global hands-on wheat research and changes in University of Nebraska Extension programming areas in Southwest Nebraska.

The wheat center and the 640 acres of land upon which it sits are the gifts of Marvin H. Stumpf III of Grant, who honors the memory and legacy of his grandparents, Nebraska homesteaders Henry J. and Margaret Stumpf, and his parents, Henry J. and Darlene Stumpf, which whom Marvin and his wife, Pearl, farmed.

With the $3 million donation to the University of Nebraska Foundation, Marvin Stumpf said he hopes to pass on the tradition of kindness and hard work his parents and grandparents taught him.

According to UNL in October 2013, when UNL announced the gift from Stumpf, the center will house research work on dryland and irrigated crops and wheat improvements as well as Extension efforts for the UNL Extension program. Stumpf said, "I hope the land is far reaching. We'll do wonderful things for those in the world that are hungry. And I hope that the students and teachers here will learn as much as possible, learn new ways, different ways, better ways."

UNL officials feel the Perkins County location will add important representation of high plains, semi-arid production to the UNL system of integrated research and allow accelerated programs in the development and application of new plant science biotechnologies.

CHANGES WITHIN

EXTENSION AREAS

The Perkins County Extension Office will move out of the courthouse in Grant and into the wheat center. The change will involve the hiring of a new agronomist and a youth educator, and the creation, with Chase County, of a new Extension programming area.

As of the first of the year, Chase County has been removed from the "Southwest Four" programming area, in existence since 1986, leaving Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties to form a new "Southwest Three."

Staffing

The new "SW3" will be staffed by staff members of the SW4, Family and Consumer Science Educator Nancy Frecks and 4-H Youth Educator Kimberly Cook.

Ag programming in Hitchcock and Hayes counties will be covered by several area ag educators, including Robert Tigner, who was recently reassigned to Red Willow County; and by agronomist Strahinja Stepanovic, who is assigned to Perkins-Chase and Dundy counties.

Ben Dutton, Community Vitality Educator in Red Willow County, will provide community programming in Southwest Nebraska.

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