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John C. Pair Horticultural Center
Kansas State University Research and Extension - Haysville

HISTORY AND MISSION STATEMENT

The idea of a Horticulture Research Center was brought to the attention of the Kansas legislature in 1969 by fruit and vegetable growers, nurserymen and agribusiness leaders. Following legislative funding, a 40 acre tract of land was obtained by the Wichita Area Development, Inc. and leased to, but later donated to Kansas State University in 1990. The first experimental plantings were established in 1971. In 1991, in 1996 and again in 1998, additional tracts of land (40 acres, 18 acres and 20 acres, respectively) were given to the research center by local residents, Ray and Dottie Reed.

The Horticulture Research Center is administered by and is a vital component of the Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources as part of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

The Center's mission is to provide unbiased research based information on the production and utilization of fruits, vegetables, turfgrasses and ornamentals. Specific goals include: (1) screening germplasm for adaptability to climatic and biotic stresses of south central Kansas; (2) identifying selections for further evaluation to determine specific mechanisms advantageous to commercial, production and/or utilization in the mid-continent area; and (3) providing information through field days, extension and research publications, journal articles and other appropriate media.

View our pictorial history