CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – To support the development of one of the school’s most popular programs, Kirkwood Community College is expanding its agricultural land by purchasing an additional 80 acres of land.
The new site is located across from the Airport National Golf Course on Wright Brothers Boulevard, just over two miles from Kirkwood’s main campus.
“This is just a great, beautiful piece of property that will expand our infrastructure and contribute to the success of our students,” said Troy McQuillen, Kirkwood’s vice president of facilities and public safety. “We’re going to take really good care of this property.”
Agriculture is one of Kirkwood’s largest programs, with over 400 students enrolled. Students now have up to 480 acres of land to study on. The goal is to provide agricultural students with hands-on experience year-round.
“The students are directly involved in every part,” McQuillen said.
The board approved the $1,356,000 purchase at its meeting last week. The school had been working for months to find an ideal location to expand its agriculture program, but finding the right spot was a challenge.
“It’s a tough competition. There are some great farmers in the surrounding areas who are also looking for land,” McQuillen said.
This new property will be directly adjacent to the land the school already uses.
“This was the perfect property for us because we could simply remove the fence rows and continue farming on the other side of the road,” McQuillen said.
The purchase is expected to close on November 15.
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