By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dr. Harold Benson had a vision when he came to Kentucky State University 35 years ago, which included making the lives of area farmers better. Recently, a piece of that vision came to fruition with the opening of the Center for Sustainable Farms and Families.

The center is located on the grounds of the KSU Research Farm, and while it has been anticipated for some time, it took years to secure the necessary funds to make it a reality, according to Benson – who serves as director of the university’s Land Grant Program.

“Not in any one year did we have enough money to build such a facility,” he said.

“The dollars coming from the USDA, part of the facilities grant program, necessitated saving money over years to accumulate what was needed to build such a state-of-the-art facility, one we had looked forward to for years.”

The 12,000 square-foot center will be available for a number of events, including home to the university’s Third Thursday events, in which area extension agents and farmers can participate in mini field days focusing on a variety of topics. Benson said the center is just one more part of the overall picture the university has of helping keep farmers on the farm and giving them peace of mind that they can provide for their families.

“Our primary focus was to conduct research in the areas of aquaculture, plant and soil sciences, rural development and nutrition, and we had facilities to conduct research in (all areas) except plant and soil sciences,” he said. “So herein lies the answer to many of the dreams and aspirations to have a place we could conduct research on a scale that would be similar to that of many of our small farmers.”

The center is surrounded by vineyards, pastures, small plots of different fruits and pawpaw and hazelnut trees that represent the years of study and research conducted at the farm.

“Our basic emphasis was in the area of helping the small, limited-resource farmer make a living,” said Benson. “There was the opportunity to take this farm and create a show-and-tell for persons to come and visit, and not only see the research being conducted but the applications.”

The new center will be an extension of that. It contains enough space to seat more than 750 people. It has collapsible walls to create smaller venues or one large auditorium. It also has a large patio area to which a covering can be added.

The patio leads to a wall of glass entry doors, all of which can be opened to expand the enclosed portion of the building with the covered patio area to create even more space. Benson said there is nothing else like it in the area; it even has a certified kitchen and is available to rent out for certain events in the community.

“We wanted to do something (here) that filled a void and filled a need of a community, of a state, of a people, and this facility is a part of that dream,” said Benson.

He added this long-term vision has enabled KSU to create something that would make the greatest impact in the lives of the greatest number of people.

Perhaps one of the most unique parts of the building is a hallway that contains a number of old photographs depicting past events at the university. The wall is appropriately named “Affirming the Promise, Continuing the Legacy.”

KSU has long been known for agricultural endeavors, especially its aquaculture program, which has gained national prominence and is recognized at the school as a Program of Distinction. In fact, Benson is often referred to as “the Father of Aquaculture” in the state of Kentucky.

But the commitment to small farms and farmers is at the core of what the university is doing in agriculture.

“We’re poised now to go on to bigger and better things. Sustainability of farms and families is probably one of the most important things that we need to be about in this whole area of agriculture,” said Benson.

Of course for those who know him, there is always the next step and for him, that includes getting young people involved in agriculture. “My next dream is that of a resource that will allow us to engage youth in agriculture endeavors on a year-round basis,” he said.

“Too often it has been conveyed to young folks that agriculture is dirty and something they don’t want to be around, but they want to eat. The youth are our most important asset and we have got to find a way to reach them. We are losing them in our school systems, we’re losing them in our society and I’m not ready to give up on them.”