The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted to name the developing meat sciences laboratory on the MU campus after former Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. The official name of the new building will be The Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory.
“Today, the Board voted to honor a true champion of Missouri’s greatest industry,” UM Board of Curators Chair Todd Graves said. “I come from a long line of cattlemen and farmers. I know the importance of agriculture to our state, and I am grateful for public servants who recognize the industriousness and ingenuity of Missouri farmers. I am privileged that one of my first acts as board chair will be to celebrate Governor Parson and his legacy in advancing agricultural education and workforce development.”
The laboratory will further enhance the capabilities of the nationally regarded MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) by providing new tools and technology for leaders and workers in the meat processing industry to better meet their needs, a fitting tribute to Parson’s agricultural achievements made throughout his lifetime in public service.
“As a third-generation cattleman, I can think of few greater honors than to have my name on a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to teaching and training Missouri’s next generation of meat farmers,” Parson said. “I proudly supported the work of the University of Missouri to advance agriculture in our state during my tenure as governor, and I am grateful that the Board of Curators has seen fit to recognize our shared vision for the future of Missouri with this distinction.”
In 2023 and 2024, Parson signed budget bills which included a combined $35 million for the facility that will now bear his name. The investment represents a fraction of the support provided to the University of Missouri System over the course of Parson’s tenure as governor. Since Parson took office in 2018, he oversaw and approved several core funding increases to institutions of higher education across the state, including historic levels of funding for the UM System.
“Governor Parson’s bold leadership and support to the University of Missouri System over the past eight years empowered our educational, research, outreach, and workforce development missions,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “As governor, he made significant investments in workforce and infrastructure programs to create educational and economic impact to Missourians.”
During Parson’s tenure as governor, agricultural policy was a key focus. Parson signed several laws pertaining to agriculture, including an income tax credit to farmers who sold or leased land to beginning farmers, a veterinary student loan repayment program and broader tax credits for agribusiness operations across the state.
“This new facility will promote innovation in meat processing through research, provide training to our workforce on the latest technology and best practices, and inform communities across the state on food sourcing and sustainability,” said CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert. “Agriculture is a critical industry in our state, and fostering growth in food manufacturing entrepreneurship is a responsibility we take seriously at MU.”
This new facility will update and consolidate the abattoir and Don Naumann Muscle Foods Processing Laboratory, also known as the Mizzou Meat Market. While it will continue to offer the entrepreneurial and hands-on learning opportunities it already provides, these updates will enhance the facility’s capacity for research and outreach with expanded lab space, classroom space and faculty offices to build the state’s only working and teaching laboratory entirely devoted to meat processing.
With its proximity to the MU campus’ highly ranked food science, meat science, animal science, and veterinary medicine programs, faculty and industry leaders will be ideally located to provide a holistic, well-rounded educational experience for future livestock farmers.
Originally published on UM System and Show Me Mizzou.