(WKYT) – The University of Kentucky held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning for the new Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building.
The new 66,000-square-foot building sits at the corner of Cooper Drive and South Limestone.
Inside is a facility that serves as a central hub and will support modern classrooms, collaborative spaces and a new cafe. This is the college’s first new teaching space in 35 years.
Benjamin Williams graduated from the college two weeks ago.
“Technology is advancing you know A.I. is continuing to grow you know with these new facilities with these new resources students are being able to plug that in the classroom right now,” Williams said.
Equine and vet programs
Students will also have an opportunity to interact and develop in equine and vet programs. That is located on the fourth floor.
On a tour, students and professors showed supporters research conducted on the quality of horse pastures and how to sample the standard of a bale of hay.
“This building right here is going to be fundamental especially for students’ education going forward for the next 10 20 30 50 years,” Williams said.
Growing interest in agriculture
Matt Chaliff, secretary of Kentucky Future Farmers of America, said the next generation has an interest in agriculture. Kentucky FFA membership is around a record 25,000.
“Everything has been virtual reality for so long that when you actually get to something real…there’s interest in that,” Chaliff said.
Chaliff said young people want to know about the source of their food.
“We see people who weren’t interested a decade ago be interested in urban gardening vertical gardening to have that impact on where their food is coming from,” Chaliff said.
He also said young people who grew up playing video games could translate those skills to the agriculture world. The drones they use are similar to gaming controllers.
“They are flying drones to put fungicide on the crops or to track plant growth across the field…we are using drones to track cattle…maintain cattle herd,” Chaliff said.
UK President Eli Capilouto emphasized the university’s commitment to agriculture and recognized that how farming evolves in the future will help everyone grow.
“Agriculture will evolve and Kentucky will evolve along with it and as the state’s institution we must help spur that evolution,” Capilouto said.
Chaliff said younger people who show an interest in farming is important because he believes food security correlates with national security.