Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center
Overview:
The Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center (OHREC), in rural Johnson County, Kansas, is K-State Research and Extension's premier location for vegetable and turfgrass research. Situated on buffer ground on the south eastern edge of what was once the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, the center has 342 acres that include 150 acres of native woodland, 75 acres of bottomland, and 117 acres of upland soil grassland. Vegetable and turfgrass research plots cover approximately 50 acres of bottomland. Spoon Creek runs through the site and provides irrigation water for research plots. The Center, which is part of Kansas State University's Eastern Kansas Research-Extension Centers, supports five full-time and one part-time employees, several graduate students in the Urban Food System and Turf Management programs, and part-time summer student workers. OHREC is also home to the Backyard Garden, a demonstration project of Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners and Spoon Creek Disc Golf Course, an 18-hole course situated on the wooded banks of Spoon Creek and ranked by UDisc as the 2023 #1 university disc golf course in the U.S. and 2024 86th best disc golf course in the world.
Our Vision:
To be a regional resource and center of excellence in applied research and extension programs that serves the current and future needs of turfgrass, landscape, fruit, vegetable, and forestry industries as well as the local and regional economies they support.
Program Areas:
Home of the Johnson County Master Gardeners 'Backyard Garden' (BYG)
Established in 2005, this demonstration garden is organized and maintained by volunteers in the Johnson County Extension Master Gardener program. The BYG showcases fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers with the home gardener in mind. To learn more about visit the Johnson County Extension website.
