Agricultural Learning Center

The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Agricultural Learning Center will be a hands-on living “classroom” or field laboratory for undergraduates, graduate students and residents of Massachusetts to actively pursue active learning about all of the forms of agriculture in the Commonwealth. The “Learning Laboratory” will provide a convenient location for students to learn holistic approaches to traditional farming methods as well as to experience new innovations and developments in food systems research.

The Agricultural Learning Center will provide experiential learning opportunities in a wide variety of farming, horticultural, nursery and landscape industries. By having small areas devoted to livestock, fruits and vegetables, turf, and landscape crops, the Center for Agriculture and Stockbridge School will be able to offer a broad array of agricultural topics.

The showcase structure at the Learning Laboratory will be the Farm Barn, 19th century horse barn to be relocated from its current campus location and renovated for use as a learning classroom and meeting center. This barn, built in 1894, was once a proud showplace for Massachusetts Agricultural College.

The creation of the Agricultural Learning Center will return student participation in farming, an important part of agricultural education, to a location within walking distance of the heart of the campus. At a time when many people are rediscovering the importance of local food and local agriculture, and when farming is once again of interest to young college-age people, the Learning Center will bring the state’s agricultural focus to Amherst.

This concept takes advantage of several valuable resources. First and foremost are the scientific and intellectual resources of the University, its faculty and students. Also of strong value are two unique physical resources: a beautiful piece of prime farmland in a central location and an impressive historic farming structure that will provide a focal point for the new Learning Center. In the future, the UMass Amherst Agricultural Learning Center will be known as a learning destination for those interested in food, farming, landscape and other natural-resource-based enterprises.  Also, as a community Agricultural Learning Center it will draw visitors from across the Northeast to workshops, courses, demonstrations and conferences.

The Agricultural Learning Center will be organized around units that will be integrated into labs associated with applied agricultural classes...more

For more information contact: Stephen J. Herbert, Assoc. Dean, and Director UMass Center for Agriculture. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Phone: 413-545-2890.