Last August, I attended the groundbreaking of a new machine shed at the Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center in northwest Missouri. I was pleased to return this year for the ribbon cutting, as well as the center’s annual fish fry and field day. More than 140 community members visited for the celebrations.

The new facility houses essential equipment in one central location and offers expanded capacity for community events. The additional space also provides room for future growth as staff extend their outreach and explore innovative techniques to help local agribusiness, like using GPS for precision farming and drones to monitor and spray crops. The building was funded thanks to the support of the Missouri General Assembly.

I appreciate the dedication shown by our elected officials and the center’s advisory board and staff to advancing agriculture throughout the region.

— Mun