Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, or CANR, has entered into a gift agreement with the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies. In recognition of this gift, the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education will be renamed the Farm Bureau Pavilion at Michigan State University.

The announcement was made to hundreds of delegates from county Farm Bureaus across the state who attended Michigan Farm Bureau’s annual meeting on Dec. 3-4 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“We consider this facility to be MSU’s Breslin Center for agriculture,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “Michigan’s agricultural community walks through those doors, and it’s appropriate that the name over the doors will represent our respected partners at Farm Bureau.”

This gift will support a planned renovation and expansion at the facility, which serves the MSU community, the general public and agricultural groups from across the Great Lakes region.

“It only seems fitting that Farm Bureau, once again, strategically invests in the future of Michigan’s agricultural industry,” said Carl Bednarski, president of Michigan Farm Bureau. “As the nation’s premier land-grant university, MSU’s focus has always been on research and delivery of cutting-edge technology to help producers successfully grow Michigan agriculture, which directly benefits our state’s rural economy.”

Based in Lansing, Michigan, the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies includes the state’s largest general farm organization, Michigan Farm Bureau, which represents Michigan’s farm families and the 300 diverse agricultural commodities that they produce. It also includes Farm Bureau Insurance, which insures businesses, farms and crops, in addition to providing auto, home, life and health coverage to the public.

“Michigan Farm Bureau and CANR have collaborated for generations: as educators of agricultural leaders, as problem-solvers for Michigan’s farmers through MSU AgBioResearch and as in-the-field outreach providers through MSU Extension, and we are excited that MSU’s own agricultural exhibition center will bear Farm Bureau’s name,” said Matt Daum, CANR interim dean. “We look forward to exploring additional naming partnership opportunities throughout the Michigan Farm Bureau Pavilion complex, including the main arena, the exhibition hall and the auditorium.”

“We are so grateful for this gift from our friends at Farm Bureau, and we hope that their generosity will inspire others to support our programming and this one-of-a-kind facility,” added Kelly Millenbah, former dean of CANR.

Since opening in 1996, the Farm Bureau Pavilion annually hosts nearly 100 events, from livestock exhibitions to horse shows to youth programming and commercial events. Each year, around 100,000 guests, including regional producers, youth, families and exhibitors, visit the pavilion over the course of approximately 250 days of programming, contributing over $7 million to the local economy — and roughly $161 million since the facility opened.

The Farm Bureau Pavilion serves as an important venue for educating the public about the value and importance of Michigan agriculture. Cornerstone events include the annual Spartan Stampede Rodeo, the Michigan Livestock Exhibition, many 4-H and FFA youth events, the Michigan Horse Expo and the Lansing Home and Garden Show.

The Michigan Farm Bureau gift will fund modernizations to the high-traffic facility and an additional indoor arena to allow for concurrent events and expanded exhibition space.

“Our partnerships with Farm Bureau and other future naming partners will support critical improvements to this showcase facility, as well as other investments in CANR infrastructure,” said George Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch. “In return, our partners will benefit from valuable visibility at the facility, and the agricultural community and public will enjoy even more impressive and numerous events in the coming years.”