MU Extension Welcomes ERS And NIFA Move To Midwest
COLUMBIA, MO.
University of Missouri Extension extends a warm welcome to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) following a recent announcement that the Kansas City region will be the new home for NIFA.
“Given that the selection criteria included quality of life, costs, workforce and logistics, it was no surprise Kansas City was selected,” said MU Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement Marshall Stewart. “We welcome NIFA and its employees to the region and thank our local, state and federal representatives and partners who helped call attention to the tremendous value KC has to offer.”
Kansas City was selected from a field of 136 Expressions of Interest from 35 states submitted last year at the invitation of USDA. On May 3, 2019, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the list of top sites had been narrowed to Indiana, the Kansas City region and North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
The selection process considered factors critical to upholding the important missions of ERS and NIFA. These included concerns for the quality of life for employees and other criteria necessary for USDA to be the most effective, efficient and customer-focused agency in the federal government. ∆