Greenway Equipment has made a $2 million gift to benefit the new Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center (NERREC) in Poinsett County.
Multiple Greenway Equipment executives announced the donation on Friday, April 16 at a presentation at the station. With this gift, $1 million will go toward agricultural equipment for the facility, and the other $1 million will go toward construction of the facility’s exhibition hall.
According to Tim Burcham, the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center director, the facility will feature research labs, learning spaces and areas for both community and industry meetings. The research facility will focus on water management, fertility remediation for rice fields, and rice production practices.
Greenway CEO Marshall Stewart said that the new research center will provide rice farmers and other professionals with a greater understanding of the crop, benefitting a wide swath of the agricultural industry.
“It will also open doors to new segments for our community to gain a better understanding of the importance that agriculture, specifically rice, plays in our region, state, and world,” he said in a statement. “Greenway is proud and honored to have the opportunity to help promote the positive narrative of agriculture.”
For Bill Midkiff, president of Greenway Equipment, the $2 million gift was a way to give back to the agricultural community to help enhance the overall community. “Rice is a major crop grown within our region, and our desire with this partnership is to further enhance current research which will enable all growers to benefit from more sustainable, efficient, and profitable practices,” he said.
READ MORE: Arkansas PBS Series to Reveal State’s ‘Good Roots’
