A new education center to promote Arkansas rice and offer youth programs is being designed for a location just north of the Northeast Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center near Jonesboro.
The education center will be a good way to expand awareness and educate younger generations about Arkansas' biggest crop commodity and promote sustainable rice-farming practices, Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board Chairman Joe Christian said.
"If we can reach young people about what we do and how we're trying to be more environmentally friendly -- because we have to, we have to cut water use -- that's kind of what this center is all about," Christian said.
The education center project is in the design stage via a contract with WER Architects of Little Rock for the building plans.
The education center will be approximately 27,000 square feet and will have six laboratory spaces, 12 offices, dedicated classroom space for youth education and a greenhouse with rice growing at various growth stages nearby, Research Center Director Tim Burcham said.
Burcham said it could take 18-24 months for the project to be completed.
The existing rice research center space is near Greenfield. The new education center will be on the same land, just north of the research center.
The project is being funded by a trade promotion agreement with Colombia, formed in 2012 for American rice exports to that country.
Arkansas produces nearly half the rice in the U.S., so it receives a share of the money from that agreement.
The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board has transferred trade promotion agreement funds for the education center project to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. UA will operate the education center as a research farm.
It will cost $15 million for farm construction and related expenses. Education Center construction will cost more, though those total costs are unknown at this time, Christian said.
There will be public space that will seat more than 200 people in a stadium setting, along with a demonstration kitchen for production of cooking shows that feature rice and other Delta-grown products. The kitchen will also serve as a component of the youth education program, Burcham said.
The new Education Center will also offer youth programs.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator Ashlyn Ussery, who will oversee the youth programs at the new Education Center, said she anticipates that the Discovery Experience youth programs will be a good field-trip destination for students to learn about Arkansas-grown products.
"I see it as more of a field-trip destination to expand knowledge on rice, but also, we have so much wildlife out there on the farm, so learning about the ecosystem and other crops that we have out there is going to be a part of it as well," Ussery said.
Children can observe plants in growing stages in the greenhouse and bring some to the classrooms for a more hands-on experience with the plants, Ussery said.
"We're also going to have a demonstration kitchen where we can learn to cook rice, bring in different varieties of rice, be able to taste it and smell it and feel the different textures, as well as learn about international use of rice since rice is a major food staple across the world," Ussery said.
"We're going to have all three of those elements within our education center."
Ussery is working with Division of Agriculture agents and area agriculture groups to start developing the foundational material around rice education that will become part of the Discovery Experience.
"Building that education program is a big task, so for us to have a couple of years ahead of time to test-drive things and get stuff ready is going to be really impactful, so that's what we're doing right now, having lots of discussion and brainstorming and trial and error with education material so we can hit the ground running once that center is open," she said.