Frontier Farm Credit gift spurs new global food systems secondary major at Kansas State University
Monday, April 11, 2016
MANHATTAN — Frontier Farm Credit has donated $100,000 to Kansas State University, which will use the funds to launch a new universitywide secondary major in global food systems. The gift to the university is one way that Frontier Farm Credit is celebrating the centennial of the Farm Credit System.
"Frontier Farm Credit and Kansas State University each have a long history of serving agriculture," said Parry Briggs, regional vice president in Frontier Farm Credit's Manhattan office. "This gift recognizes our shared interest in agriculture and improving global food systems for future generations."
"This is a great opportunity for students at Kansas State University to have the first secondary major of its kind in the nation at their university," added Clarke Jackman, regional vice president in Frontier Farm Credit's Baldwin office. "Designating this fund will ensure impact for years to come."
The secondary major in global food systems is an interdisciplinary effort spearheaded by many departments and colleges universitywide. Any student with a primary major in any discipline is eligible to participate in the secondary major. The program offers five different tracks: economics, entrepreneurship, production agriculture, policy, sustainability and community development.
"The support that Frontier Farm Credit is providing will help us launch this program," said Kris Boone, head of the communications and agricultural education department. "As an interdisciplinary curriculum, we have designed the program so that students from across campus can participate in it. There are opportunities for students to conduct research and work in other scholarly areas as well, helping us keep the university moving forward toward its goal to be recognized as a Top 50 public research university by 2025."
"Being able to offer this secondary major is an important part of K-State's Global Food Systems initiative," said John Floros, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. "This program will provide students from a variety of backgrounds with a better awareness of food and agriculture. It will also provide them with the knowledge and experiences that will make them excellent prospects for employers or graduate schools. We appreciate Frontier Farm Credit's continued generous support of K-State faculty, students, facilities and now, programs."
If you would like to support this program or contribute to this fund, please contact Emilie Fink at the Kansas State University Foundation at 785-532-7571 or emilief@found.ksu.edu.
Frontier Farm Credit is a financial cooperative that serves farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses in eastern Kansas. The $100,000 gift in honor of Farm Credit's 100-year anniversary helps to build a program that will have a lasting impact on agriculture.
Philanthropic contributions to Kansas State University are coordinated by the KSU Foundation. The foundation was established in 1944 as the official fundraising arm of the university. It is a separate, independent entity chartered by the state of Kansas as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education corporation. The foundation is leading Innovation and Inspiration: The Campaign for Kansas State University to raise $1 billion for student success, faculty development, facility enhancement and programmatic success.
