State Fair Community College will receive $6 million in federal funding to build a Workforce Training Center for Agriculture Advancement on the college’s 200-acre farm.
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., secured the Community Project Funding request. The allocation was approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget. The training center at SFCC is included among $23 million in targeted federal investments for Missouri’s 4th Congressional District.
“Missouri’s growth requires strategic investment,” Alford said. “The kind that strengthens infrastructure, advances research, supports rural health care and prepares the workforce of tomorrow.
“These are not giveaways,” Alford added. “They’re investments with measurable returns in jobs, innovation, health care access and long-term economic resilience. To put it simply, we’re turning the Show-Me State into the Grow Me State.”
The training center developed through this program will include an all-weather livestock working facility and provide a dynamic learning environment for students studying agriculture, animal science, agronomy and agricultural technology.
SFCC President Dr. Brent Bates expressed gratitude to Alford for investing in the future of Missouri’s agriculture workforce and for continuing to advocate for community colleges and strong educational partnerships.
“Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Missouri and is critically important to our region,” Bates said. “This investment will expand opportunities for hands-on agriculture training, allowing students to apply lessons learned in the classroom on the college’s 200-acre farm. Additionally, the training center will create opportunities to extend training and other uses to local industry partners. It will be a significant asset for the regional agriculture community.”
SFCC’s agriculture program provides certificates and degrees designed to prepare students for careers in farming and ranching, agribusiness, animal science, agronomy, and agricultural mechanics and technology. The program also prepares students to transfer to universities through the Associate of Arts degree. For more information about SFCC’s agriculture program, visit sfccmo.edu.
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