Our land-grant mission in Wooster

The modern day College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) traces its roots to 1870, when the Ohio General Assembly used funds from the Morrill Act to establish the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College on Neil Farm just north of Columbus. In 1878, the institution became The Ohio State University. As the university expanded its academic focus, Ohio leaders created the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station in 1882 to strengthen the connection between university research and the needs of the state’s agricultural communities.

Two men stand in front of signs at the OARDC campus
Roy Kottman and Associate Director William Knauss pose for a publicity photo during the name change in 1965. 

In 1892, the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station moved to Wooster at the request of its first full-time director, Charles Thorne, who sought a location separate from Columbus for political and economic reasons. Over time, the station grew into a statewide research network. By 1932, it included 16 experimental farms across Ohio, later consolidated to nine stations in 1960. In 1965, the station became the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, or OARDC. In 1982, OARDC officially merged with The Ohio State University, 100 years after the experiment station was first established.

Teaching became a larger part of the Wooster campus in 1969 with the creation of the Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute on 30 acres of OARDC land designated by the state legislature. Today, Ohio State ATI is the associate-degree-granting academic unit within CFAES. ATI helps fulfill the college’s land grant mission by offering accessible, affordable hands-on programs in food, agriculture and environmental sciences that prepare students for careers or continued study.

Cathann Kress, dean of the college in a red blazer

“It allows us to think about this location as a full campus, rather than simply two components. It will brand the location as an integral part of CFAES and provide a gateway for Ohio State in northeast Ohio.””

Cathann A. Kress, vice president of agricultural administration and dean of CFAES

Today, CFAES Wooster brings together these historic strengths in one campus. What once operated as separate research and teaching entities now share resources, infrastructure, personnel and equipment under one campus identity. That unified approach helps CFAES serve Ohio more effectively through its three mission areas:

Teaching

Ohio State ATI gives students hands-on learning in fields, labs and animal facilities tied directly to careers in food, agriculture and the environment. As an open-admissions academic unit, ATI also reflects Ohio State’s land-grant commitment to access and opportunity.

Research

CFAES Wooster is a major hub for agricultural and environmental research. Building on the legacy of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station and OARDC, researchers in Wooster work across disciplines to improve food systems, strengthen agriculture, protect natural resources and support communities in Ohio and beyond.

Outreach

Outreach remains central to the Wooster campus. The Ohio State University Extension connects university knowledge with the people and communities it serves by turning research into practical, science-based information. Extension personnel work on the Wooster campus, alongside the Wayne County Extension office in downtown Wooster, helping bring knowledge into everyday use across Ohio.