What WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences does

CAHNRS is the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University, the university's designated land-grant college. It delivers integrated academic programming (22 majors, 19 minors, 27 graduate programs), extramural research administration, and statewide extension services. In fiscal year 2025, CAHNRS accounted for approximately 37% of WSU's extramural spending, with more than $114 million flowing through grants, contracts, and industry partnerships. The college is led by Dean Raj Khosla, the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean.

CAHNRS operates a network of specialized research and extension facilities including the Wine Science Center, the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center (Wenatchee), the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (Prosser), the Northwest Research and Extension Center (Mount Vernon), the Puyallup Research and Extension Center, AgWeatherNet, the Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems, the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Clean Plant Center Northwest, and the Honey Bee & Pollinator Research Facility. The college's commercialization track record is anchored by the Cosmic Crisp® apple — bred at WSU and launched in 2020, which has generated over $28 million in royalties, making it the most commercially successful research product in university history. A successor variety, Sunflare™, is in development with projected market entry in 2029.

Revenue and funding flow from multiple streams: extramural grants and contracts ($114M+ in FY2025), licensing and royalties (Cosmic Crisp), donations and endowments (including the Cashup Davis Deanship and a new $150,000 organic farm endowment), tuition set by WSU, commercial product sales (Cougar Gold cheese via WSU Creamery, blended-learning wines, WSU honey), and Extension Publications Store transactions. Customer segments include prospective and enrolled students, Washington's tree fruit, wine/grape, dairy, and specialty crop industries, statewide communities served through WSU Extension (with 300,000 volunteer hours annually), and federal research collaborators including the National Academies.

Name

WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Legal name

College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Website

https://cahnrs.wsu.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAHNRS is Washington State University's land-grant college, delivering 22 undergraduate majors, 27 graduate programs, and a statewide extension network while administering $114M+ in annual extramural research funding and commercializing plant varieties including the $28M+ royalty-generating Cosmic Crisp® apple.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pullman, Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Extramural Research Funding: CAHNRS accounts for close to 37% of all WSU extramural spending. In fiscal year 2025, CAHNRS spent more than $114 million in extramural funding from grants, contracts, and industry partnerships.
2. Technology and Product Licensing: The college generates revenue through licensing of developed technologies, plant varieties, and products such as the Cosmic Crisp apple, which has generated over $28 million in royalties.
3. Donations and Endowments: The college receives donations and endowed funds, including the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Deanship and alumni-established endowments like a new $150,000 endowment to support the WSU organic farm.
4. Extension Publications Store: WSU Extension generates revenue through sales of publications and guides available through the online Extension Publications Store, including feasibility guides for growers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAHNRS delivers academic degree programs (22 majors, 19 minors, 27 graduate programs), conducts extramural research (over $114 million in FY2025, accounting for ~37% of WSU's extramural funding), and operates WSU Extension to deliver research-based information statewide. The college also commercializes proprietary products such as the Cosmic Crisp apple (over $28 million in royalties) and student-made wines through its Viticulture and Enology program.

Product overview

WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) is an academic college within Washington State University serving as the land-grant institution's primary vehicle for agricultural research and education. The college offers a unified portfolio of educational programs (22 majors, 19 minors, 27 graduate programs) alongside commercialized research products including the Cosmic Crisp® apple (generating over $28M in royalties), Cougar Gold cheese, Blended Learning wines, and WSU honey. WSU Extension delivers outreach statewide, while specialized publications and guides (cherry feasibility guides, wildfire food safety series) translate research into practical applications. The Cashup Davis Dean's Faculty Fellows program and various research centers (Wine Science Center, Honey Bee & Pollinator Research Facility) support the college's land grant mission to serve all people through education, research, and service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cosmic Crisp®: WSU's signature apple variety developed through apple breeding research, generating over $28 million in royalties
• Cougar Gold
• Sunflare™
• Cashup Davis Dean's Faculty Fellows

Products and services

• Cosmic Crisp Apple WSU's signature apple variety developed through the apple breeding program, known for balanced flavor, crisp texture, juiciness, excellent storage, and striking color. Licensed to growers and generating royalty revenue for the university.
• CAHNRS Academic Programs
• WSU Extension County-based extension programs delivering research-based information in agriculture, family and consumer sciences, youth development through 4-H, and community economic development across Washington State.
• Cougar Gold Cheese Dairy cheese product produced by the WSU Creamery; sold and sampled at community events, festivals, and through Creamery outlets.
• Blended Learning Wines Wines produced by students in the WSU Department of Viticulture and Enology as part of the Blended Learning program combining hands-on experience with academic instruction.
• WSU Honey Honey produced by the WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators Program in the Department of Entomology, sold directly through the program's website.
• Extension Publications Research-based publications and feasibility guides (e.g., 2026 cherry feasibility guides for sweet cherry varieties) sold through the online Extension Publications Store for farmers, growers, families, and educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37% of WSU extramural funding
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and MedicineflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Deepti Singh, WSU Vancouver associate professor, served on a 14-member committee producing a consensus report on extreme event attribution science. The committee included experts from NOAA and other institutions, advancing understanding of how climate change influences specific weather events.
• Partners for Rural WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026WSU Extension's Community and Economic Development unit collaborates with nonprofit Partners for Rural Washington on initiatives like The Giving Grid, which helps rural schools lower energy costs. The partnership showcases rural innovation at national conferences.
• Washington Tree Fruit Research CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2025The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and WSU reaffirmed their landmark partnership for science serving the Washington tree fruit industry. The partnership includes endowed chair support and collaborative research programs. The commission funds research and the partnership drives innovation in apples, cherries, and pears.
• Career Connect WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025Career Connect Washington formally recognized WSU's Department of Viticulture & Enology as a Career Launch program, acknowledging the department's dedication to providing comprehensive, hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for careers in the wine industry.
• Crave! Northwest FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCAHNRS has participated as a sponsor in Crave! Northwest for four years, showcasing products like Cougar Gold cheese, honey, beef sticks, wines, and Cosmic Crisp apples at the Spokane festival. This partnership helps build relationships with alumni, industry leaders, and community members.
• WSU CreamerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe WSU Creamery produces Cougar Gold cheese and other dairy products, providing hands-on learning for students while generating revenue and community engagement. Products are showcased at campus events and local festivals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Major land-grant agricultural college with large extramural research portfolio and statewide extension (Texas AgriLife). Comparable scale and breadth of agricultural and natural resource programming.
• Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences: Pacific-Northwest land-grant peer with overlapping specialty crop, tree fruit, and viticulture research. Directly comparable in regional crop focus and extension delivery model.
• University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS): Major land-grant agricultural unit combining academic programs, research, and statewide extension. Comparable in mission, scale, and integrated research-to-extension pipeline.
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Land-grant agricultural college with extensive research expenditures and extension service. Comparable in research intensity, plant and animal science focus, and external funding scale.
• UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Land-grant university college offering agricultural research, extension, and academic programs. Directly comparable as a large public agricultural college with extensive industry partnerships and a strong viticulture/enology program.
• Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Land-grant agricultural college with research, teaching, and MSU Extension. Comparable in college structure, applied plant and animal sciences, and extension-driven commercialization.
• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): Land-grant college delivering agricultural research, teaching, and extension. Closely comparable in mission, structure (academic + research + extension), and scope of plant and animal sciences.
• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences: Land-grant college offering agricultural research, extension, and academic programs. Comparable in applied plant science research and industry-funded commercialization programs.
• Purdue University College of Agriculture: Land-grant agricultural college combining research, teaching, and extension. Comparable in academic offerings, applied research output, and industry partnership model.

Regional players

• University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR): California-based agricultural research and extension system. Comparable as an academic-extension hybrid serving specialty crops (including tree fruit and viticulture), though it operates in a different geography than CAHNRS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wsucahnrs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WSUCAHNRS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAHNRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wsucahnrs
• Instagraminstagram.com/wsucahnrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences