Merced College leaders, educators and regional supporters are celebrating the start of construction for a highly anticipated AgTEC Innovation Center — a $22 million cutting-edge facility to revolutionize agricultural education and workforce development in the Central Valley.

Touted as the first of its kind at a community college in California, the center is expected to prepare students for careers in high-tech ag manufacturing, and serve as a hub for industry partnerships and economic development in the region. 

“We are going to be the most innovative community college in the country, and it’s projects like this that help us get there,” said Chris Vitelli, the college president. 

During an April 17 ground-breaking ceremony on the main campus, Vitelli was joined at the podium by Congressman Adam Gray, Central Valley Community Foundation CEO Ashley Swearengin, and the Merced College Director of Ag Innovation Cody Jacobsen. They all gave presentations to a large crowd of distinguished guests who gathered for the milestone event. 

“I’ve seen over the last few years that people have come together to do the impossible and to truly lead the state in competency-based education and to break out of the mold and say ‘we are ready for the future, we’re showing up to support a new and different place for our community and our region,’” Swearengin said. 

Said Jacobsen, “This center is designed from the ground up to train the next generation of ag workers, technologists, and entrepreneurs through real world, hands-on learning. It’s where education and industry come together to ensure our region remains competitive, innovative and inclusive.” 

Once completed, the AgTEC Innovation Center will house:

• – Students will train on cutting-edge nut, fruit, and vegetable processing equipment, as well as meat processing and food safety systems, mirroring real-world agricultural operations.

• – A nutrition facility and commercial kitchen will support food product innovation and testing.

• – Dedicated spaces for industry-led training, career development, and entrepreneurship initiatives.

• – A retail storefront where students will gain agribusiness experience while providing fresh, locally grown products to the public.

Funded in part by the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) initiative — along with a $15 million investment from the state made possible by Sen. Anna Caballero—the AgTEC Innovation Center is a key component of Merced College’s broader agricultural expansion, which has garnered national attention.

The facility will complement existing initiatives such as the Reservoir Farms robotics incubator and the college’s expanding role in sustainable, high-tech agriculture. And the college’s innovative Ag Systems Certificate, a competency-based education (CBE) program, has already been recognized as a model for upskilling farm laborers and addressing workforce challenges in agriculture.

“Agriculture is the backbone of California’s economy, and the Central Valley is at the heart of feeding the nation and the world,” Sen. Caballero said. “What’s truly powerful about the Merced College program is that it honors the skills farmworkers already have, offering them college credit for their experience, while providing training in new technologies that make their jobs easier and open the door to higher wages and greater economic success.”

The new AgTEC Innovation Center will be built on the north side of campus, along Aggie Lane, where the old Plant Science/Horticulture Facility is currently located. Jacobsen said that building will be torn down in the coming days. A new Plant Science/Horticulture Facility is currently being built, he said, and is expected to open within a few months.