The Beck family of Atlanta, Ind., is providing the lead gift to build a new training and research facility at the university’s Agronomy Center for Research and Education.

The gift celebrates nearly 70 years in the seed business, an even longer connection to Purdue, and a wish to contribute to agriculture.

The Beck Agricultural Center will provide space for classes, meetings and hands-on demonstrations at the agronomy farm.

The center will include classrooms with movable dividers, an inside equipment demonstration area, and Internet and remote broadcasting capabilities for distance education.

Additional funding for the new center will come from College of Agriculture development funds. “The Becks have played a leading role in Indiana’s farming success,” said Purdue President Martin C. Jischke, “and their farsightedness in making this facility possible will be key to the state’s commitment to the agriculture industry.”

The agronomy center attracts more than 8,000 people annually for workshops and training programs. In addition, 5,000 elementary through high school students and teachers visit every year for classes. Many of these functions are held in tents or garage space on the property, located northwest of the West Lafayette campus.

“Purdue has played a big part in training the Beck family ever since my father attended agriculture short courses there in 1929 and 1930,” said Sonny Beck, BS ’62, MS ’64, president of Beck’s Hybrids, the seed company his father and grandfather founded in 1937. “As we look to the future, we envision the Beck Agricultural Center being used to educate people with all levels of interest in agriculture, from kindergarten through high school and college, and adults in the farming community. In addition, it will accommodate agriculture and industry meetings.”

More than 25 companies use the agronomy research center for field-oriented educational programs every year as agriculture businesses rely more heavily on land-grant universities for industry educational needs, said Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to have an immediate, positive impact on the agronomic needs across the state of Indiana,” he said. “Sonny and his family have been leaders in adopting new technologies and in moving modern agriculture forward, so it makes perfect sense to have them involved in creating this facility. Purdue Agriculture is committed to working with producers and agribusiness leaders to grow the state’s agricultural economy. The Beck Center will help us meet that goal.”