Blue Mountain Community College, the Pendleton Round-Up Association and the city of Pendleton have announced they will collaborate on a project that’s expected to expand BMCC’s capacity to offer a wider range of animal science classes and enhance existing programs, while at the same time directly supporting the livestock industry and bolstering the local economy.
The FARM Phase II project is the second chapter of BMCC’s new Facility for Agriculture Resource Management (FARM), a project funded by a 2015 capital construction bond approved by voters and currently under construction on the College’s Pendleton campus as a replacement of its old agriculture building. Phase II will provide a state-of-the-art facility to support a signature educational program that attracts students from across the country, and builds upon the region’s agricultural-based economy and western culture. This facility is expected to replace the existing Pavilion located at the Pendleton Round- Up Grounds.
“The FARM Phase II project values the opportunity for hands-on learning, strong partnerships with community organizations, and the ability to serve the agricultural and educational needs of the eastern Oregon region,” said BMCC President Cam Preus.
The project will leverage BMCC’s existing strengths in its nationally-recognized animal science and agriculture programs, as well as its national champion rodeo team, to attract new student markets to the College. BMCC currently rents the Pavilion at the Round-Up Grounds and exercises operational control for a substantial period of each year, while the Round-Up uses BMCC’s pens to house livestock during the Round-Up each year. This highlights the two entities’ long-standing, effective operational relationship.
“On behalf of the Pendleton Round-Up Association’s Directors, we are very pleased and excited to participate in this important joint project,” said Round-Up President Bill Levy. “Its objectives match those of the Round-Up; supporting higher education, encouraging local development activity that betters the community, helping sustain the region’s agricultural economic lifeblood, and perpetuating the sport of rodeo through encouraging student athletes of the BMCC rodeo team. This is an ideal fit which will provide BMCC with a world class educational facility which compliments the Pendleton Round-Up campus.”
Initial draft plans for the FARM II feature a multi-purpose building with classrooms, practicum areas to provide hands-on experience with livestock, laboratories, animal holding facilities, stabling, administrative spaces and an indoor arena with bleacher seating. The new building will occupy the space of the current, outdated Round-Up Pavilion.
The project is expected to:
• Provide enhanced space for Veterinary Assistant/Technician programs and provide hands-on learning for the treatment of contestant and competition livestock.
• Expand BMCC’s capacity to offer a wider range of animal science classes.
• Directly support the livestock industry, a keystone to western lifestyles and eastern Oregon’s agricultural economy.
• Enhance BMCC rodeo, livestock judging and other FARM-related programming.
• Provide convertible classrooms for training in occupational areas for which there is regional and national need.
• Provide an arena and stabling where currently none is available to BMCC’s national champion rodeo team student-athletes.
• Attract major animal judging contests featuring BMCC’s award-winning livestock judging team.
• Attract high-end equestrian events to Pendleton, bolstering the local economy.
• Reduce project-related construction costs as well as ongoing operational and maintenance costs for each party.
The city of Pendleton has offered its support of the project in an effort to attract more equestrian- and livestock-related events to town, as well as companies who may be interested in conducting agricultural research and strategic partnerships with Oregon State University and Washington State University to conduct research and student programs.
“Events held at the FARM II facility will benefit the economy of Pendleton, improve College recruiting, and help off-set the costs of managing the facility,” said Pendleton Mayor John Turner.
To support the project’s estimated $10 million price tag, the three organizations asked the state’s Joint Ways and Means Committee to support a dollar-for-dollar matching capital construction grant for the project. BMCC, the Round-Up and the city of Pendleton have already formed a committee to fundraise for the other half of the project’s costs. If the Legislature approves the project for matching funds, bonds wouldn’t be sold until the spring of 2019.
The Umatilla County Commissioners and Port of Umatilla Commissioners have already pledged $150,000 each towards the project.
Anyone interested in supporting these fundraising efforts should contact Pat Beard of Travel Pendleton, pat@travelpendleton.com or 541-276-7411.
