Who We Are
agInnovation is:
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A nationwide system of agricultural research stations
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Operated under the auspices of the nation's Land-grant universities
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Dedicated to the science that feeds the world
Tomorrow's Agriculture Starts Today
By 2050, there will be nine billion people on Earth. How will we safeguard our quality of life-including affordable food, energy security, economic opportunity, a healthy environment, and economically and socially viable communities?
Our History
Land-grant institutions have traditionally pursued a threefold mission of extending access to higher education, cultivating practical fields like agriculture and engineering, and contributing to economic development. The Land-grant concept was established to offer advanced instruction to the working class, to educate farmers and assist with the success and growth of agriculture, and to educate future engineers to aid industry and encourage economic development through scientific research.
The Hatch Act of 1887 authorized the establishment of an agricultural experiment station in each state, which today employs about 13,000 scientists. Many states have branch stations to meet the special needs of different climates and geographical zones in those states. Federal and state governments cooperate in funding the research done at the stations, with additional income coming from grants, contracts, and the sale of products.
Where You'll Find Us
The map of the United States below shows the location of the agricultural experiment stations and the branch stations in each state. Members of the general public can learn more about the public value of main stations or learn more about each station or branch station separately by clicking on the interactive version of the map below.
Main Experiment Station Locations
Experiment Station Branch Locations
Curious to learn more?
Check out the link below for an interactive version of the map. There you will be able to learn about each station and branch location separately.
State Agricultural Experiment Stations
Where the Magic Happens...
Universities across the nation engage in research, but at least one Land-grant college or university per state is home to a State Agricultural Experiment Station. An Agricultural Experiment Station is a scientific research center that investigates potential improvements to food production and agribusiness.
Experiment Station scientists provide research and discoveries that fuel Cooperative Extension’s hands-on education curriculum and work with farmers, ranchers, suppliers, processors, and others involved in food production and agriculture.
Members
Our Regional Identities
The Association of Research Directors (ARD), Inc. is a federation of eighteen (18) autonomous land-grant universities (including Tuskegee University), that provides coordination of research initiatives among member 1890 Institutions in cooperation with federal, state and private partners. The ARD partners with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and holds membership in the State Agricultural Experiment Station System (SAES) of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The Association also cooperates with other appropriate regional and national committees and organizations on initiatives affecting the food and agricultural research needs of the nation.
1890s INSTITUTIONS
NORTH CENTRAL REGION
The NCRA is one of five regional associations responsible for facilitating the cooperation of regional and national research. The research is supported in part by the Multistate Research Fund (MRF), which is a federal appropriation authorized by the Hatch Act. Additional support comes from other federal programs as well as state and private sources. The research program focuses on regional priorities that are identified and developed jointly by State Agricultural Experiment Station (SAES) Directors, Departmental Chairs, and participating scientists. Our office serves the 12 Experiment Stations in the North Central region.
NORTHEAST REGION
The Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA) is a formal coalition of Directors of fourteen state agricultural experiment stations (SAES) and one of five such organizations nationally. The northeastern SAES are primarily located on the campuses of the region’s thirteen Land-grant Universities with the exception of Connecticut, which houses a stand-alone station in New Haven and another at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. All these stations contribute to a nationwide research system dedicated to meeting the global, national, and regional challenges associated with agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and human nutrition by offering the best available science.
SOUTHERN REGION
The SAAESD is a formal coalition of directors of fifteen state agricultural experiment stations (SAES) in the southern US. The southern SAES are located on the campuses of the region’s 15 Land-grant Universities including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. All of these stations contribute to a nationwide research system dedicated to meeting the global challenges associated with agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and human nutrition by offering the best available science.
WESTERN REGION
The Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (WAAESD), one of five such regional associations, is comprised of the 13 western states and four Pacific trust territories. The WAAESD is organized to plan and manage multistate research activities important to the Western Region and the nation.