Parma facelift

The University of Idaho’s Parma Agricultural Research Center is dated and in need of an update. Idaho Lawmakers passed a bill that’ll use $7 million dollars in state funds to upgrade the research station. The college plans to break ground on the project next year and will include grad student housing, updated labs, new greenhouses, and four new positions. Michael Parrella, dean of UI’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, which oversees Parma and eight other ag and Extension research centers across the state.

“We plan on four positions, so pollinator and that person would essentially concentrate on the seed industry and moving that industry forward and obviously bees are important for pollination for fruit and other crops, so having the specialist here would be a positive thing,” said Parrella.

The project will use $3 million in state funds, 1million from private donors $3 million in funding from industry including sugar beet, apple, barley, bean, hop, mint, onion, wine, and alfalfa and clover seed interests.

Idaho’s Ag Industry valued at over $8-billion dollars, and targeted to grow, through a funded and vital research facility.