West Central Research and Outreach Center

What West Central Research and Outreach Center does

West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is a public applied agricultural research facility operated by the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and located in Morris, Minnesota. Established in 1910 as the West Central School of Agriculture and renamed to its current form in 1998, WCROC operates five interconnected research programs: Agronomy and Soil Science, Dairy, Horticulture, Renewable Energy, and Swine. Its infrastructure spans 1,060 acres (640 tillable, 356 certified organic) with a conventional and organic dairy herd of 200-280 cows managed side-by-side, a 60-sow farrow-to-finish swine operation, a six-acre Horticulture Display Garden, and a 1.65 MW wind turbine alongside solar, geothermal, and green ammonia demonstration systems. The center is the only land-grant institution in the U.S. with side-by-side conventional and organic dairy research, and the first Midwest land-grant institution with a certified organic dairy herd.

WCROC generates its funding through a combination of University of Minnesota allocations, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) grants, federal agency grants (USDA, DOE), and private donations to endowed funds. It does not sell commercial products; educational programs, field days, and public garden access are offered free of charge. The center operates as a Regional Extension Office, distributing research findings through University of Minnesota Extension educators across Minnesota. Its distribution channels include monthly eNewsletters, biannual horticulture garden newsletters, an organic dairy eNews list, and annual events such as Horticulture Night and the biennial Midwest Farm Energy Conference. Primary beneficiaries are farmers, agricultural producers, rural communities, University of Minnesota students and faculty, and the general public in the Upper Midwest region.

WCROC's customer base is highly diversified and non-commercial, spanning farmers and producers seeking unbiased applied research, graduate and undergraduate students pursuing hands-on experiential learning, general public and garden enthusiasts accessing education and public garden amenities, and community partners in the Morris Model sustainability initiative. The center does not derive revenue from named enterprise customers; instead, it serves as a quasi-public research utility sustained by institutional funding. Key partnerships include multiple University of Minnesota academic departments (CFANS, MAES, Extension, UMM, and departments of Animal Science, Agronomy, Horticulture, Soil/Water/Climate, Bioproducts/Biosystems Engineering, and Veterinary Medicine), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, All-America Selections, Morris Model Partnership, and the Institute on the Environment.

Name

West Central Research and Outreach Center

Legal name

West Central Research and Outreach Center

Website

https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West Central Research and Outreach Center is a public University of Minnesota applied agricultural research facility in Morris, MN, conducting five research programs (agronomy, dairy, horticulture, renewable energy, swine) and serving farmers, students, and rural communities in the Upper Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Dairy production research
• Renewable energy systems
• Crop science research
• Horticulture research

Headquarters

HQ city

Morris

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. University of Minnesota Funding: Core operational funding through the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES)
2. Research Grants: Externally funded research projects from federal agencies including USDA, DOE, and state departments
3. Private Donations: Gifts to WCROC general fund, individual program areas, and endowed funds for garden, dairy, swine, and renewable energy programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is a University of Minnesota public research facility operating five interdisciplinary research programs — Agronomy & Soil Science, Dairy, Horticulture, Renewable Energy, and Swine — on 1,060 acres in Morris, MN. The center delivers applied agricultural research, manages conventional and organic dairy herds side-by-side, operates a six-acre public Horticulture Display Garden, runs pilot-scale renewable energy systems, and provides weather data services and educational outreach to farmers, producers, students, and the general public.

Product overview

West Central Research and Outreach Center operates as a multi-disciplinary research facility within the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. The center offers five interconnected research programs—Agronomy & Soil Science, Dairy, Horticulture, Renewable Energy, and Swine—alongside public-facing services including the six-acre Horticulture Display Garden, crop research plot hosting, and weather data monitoring. The research portfolio covers conventional and organic agricultural systems, renewable energy integration, and environmental sustainability, with facilities including dairy herds, swine operations, renewable energy demonstration systems, and extensive field plots totaling 640 acres of tillable land.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agronomy & Soil Science Research Applied research on plant and soil management systems focusing on conventional and organic crop production including corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa, with emphasis on environmental protection and producer profitability.
• Dairy Research Dairy production research covering livestock health, nutrition, reproduction, and crossbreeding systems. Manages both organic and conventional dairy herds side-by-side for comparative research.
• Horticulture Research & Display Garden Six-acre public display garden featuring hundreds of annual flowers, perennials, and woody plants. Conducts cultivar trials, small fruit research, and organic horticulture crop management studies.
• Renewable Energy Research Research on wind, solar, biofuels, and biomass energy systems with focus on reducing fossil-fuel consumption in agricultural production. Includes 1.65 MW wind turbine, solar thermal systems, and renewable hydrogen/ammonia production.
• Swine Research Swine production research comparing conventional confinement and alternative straw-bedded facilities. Covers animal behavior, welfare, nutrition, housing systems, and energy conservation.
• Crop Research Plot Request Research plot hosting service allowing University of Minnesota faculty and staff to submit research requests for field trials on WCROC cropland.
• Weather Data Services Real-time weather monitoring and soil temperature data collection with historical records dating back to 1885, providing information for local farmers and researchers.
• Horticulture Night Annual public educational event held the last Thursday of July featuring presentations, tours, demonstrations, vendor booths, and activities at the Horticulture Display Garden.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces fossil fuel consumption in agricultural production through renewable energy integration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCROC is administered by CFANS as part of a network of 10 Research and Outreach Centers throughout Minnesota. CFANS provides core funding and academic oversight.
• Department of Animal SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on dairy and swine research programs, faculty supervision, and graduate student training.
• Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on agronomy research, crop variety trials, and soil science studies.
• Department of Horticultural SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on horticulture display garden and plant trials research.
• Department of Soil, Water, and ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on soil management, water quality research, and utilizes Soil Testing Laboratory.
• Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on renewable energy engineering, biomass, and green ammonia research.
• Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding for research projects and supports both basic and applied research with practical goals.
• University of Minnesota ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCROC serves as Regional Extension Office; research findings shared through Extension educators statewide.
• University of Minnesota MorriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated one mile east of UMM campus; students collaborate on research projects; shared sustainability initiatives.
• Minnesota Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides weather station and joined Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN); supports agricultural research initiatives.
• Morris Model PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership including University of Minnesota Morris, WCROC, city of Morris, Morris Area Public Schools, Stevens County. Goal: 80% local energy production, 30% energy reduction, zero landfill waste by 2030. Won $300,000 from DOE Energizing Rural Communities Prize.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pollinator evaluation plot and prairie habitat restoration near Pomme de Terre Overlook.
• All-America Selections (AAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCROC is AAS Trial and Display Garden since 1990s, first AAS trial ground in Minnesota. Tests new flower and vegetable cultivars for superior performance.
• Institute on the Environment (IonE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on environmental research initiatives across University of Minnesota.
• College of Veterinary MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on animal health research and Certified Swine Sample Collector program training.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-central-research-and-outreach-center

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West Central Research and Outreach Center