MANHATTAN — At today's annual Kansas Governor's Summit on Agricultural Growth hosted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas State University announced the creation of the new Barry Flinchbaugh Center for Ag Policy.
The center honors and continues the work of Barry Flinchbaugh, who served Kansas State University, the State of Kansas and the nation as a policy educator for nearly half a century. Flinchbaugh was known for his teaching and practice of the Alternatives and Consequences policy education model to help policymakers address opportunities and challenges facing agricultural producers.
"As a former ag dean, I have been a longtime admirer of Barry Flinchbaugh — his legacy in the ag world is amazing," said Richard Linton, K-State president. "The Barry Flinchbaugh Center for Ag Policy will allow K-State to showcase our continued commitment to farmers and ranchers across the state who are searching for effective solutions to agricultural challenges through respectful compromise."
The center, a free-standing organization that works in partnership with the K-State Office of Engagement, will focus on student engagement through lectures, research opportunities, internships and more. Also core to the center's mission is working with stakeholders in agriculture and their supply chains to identify innovative solutions to current and future challenges facing agriculture and rural communities.
"By nurturing leaders to understand the role of agriculture in national security and providing vital information to agriculture's stakeholders, the center will effectively carry on Barry's legacy and advance our agricultural communities and industries," Linton added.
The creation of the center has been led by several of Flinchbaugh's former students, a group known as the Flinchbaugh Legacy Keepers.
"Barry Flinchbaugh's former students are one of his greatest legacies, and as such, we felt it critical to find multiple ways to keep his legacy active at Kansas State University and beyond," said Jay Armstrong, Flinchbaugh Legacy Keepers' liaison to the university. "We are thrilled to see this center come to fruition and are excited to see how it advances our industry."
The Barry Flinchbaugh Center for Ag Policy is just one example of K-State's path forward as a next-generation land-grant university. Additionally, the center aligns with K-State 105, the university's answer to the call for a comprehensive economic growth and advancement solution for Kansas, leveraging the statewide K-State Research and Extension network to deliver the full breadth of the university's collective knowledge and solution-driven innovation to every Kansan, right where they live and work.