Academic Expressions

Office of the Provost

Two people, out of focus in the background, standing in an agricultural field with plants in the foreground
Photo by Kevin White/Missouri State University

Growing Forward

Dr. Melissa Bledsoe looks back at recent achievements in the Darr College of Agriculture — and looks toward its future.

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As Missouri State engages in a new strategic planning process, we’re touching base with academic leaders about developments in their units since the previous plan was implemented in 2021.

First up: Dr. Melissa Bledsoe. Last spring, Bledsoe was named dean of the Darr College of Agriculture (DCOAG), a role she’d filled on an interim basis since 2023. She’s also an alumna, who completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in DCOAG before earning her doctorate at the University of Missouri. She joined the faculty at Missouri State in 2013. This fall, she was elected to the Non-Land-Grant Agriculture and Renewable Resources Universities Board of Directors.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

When we spoke with Bledsoe, we covered a huge range of topics — more than we can share! We’ve gathered a few of her top insights. They’re loosely organized around three ideas that repeatedly emerged during our discussion: identity, enrollment and innovation.

Identity

During the recent academic realignment, the hospitality leadership program moved to DCOAG, and the college’s programs were reorganized into the School of Agricultural Science and Conservation and the School of Hospitality and Agricultural Leadership. With these changes, DCOAG embraced a comprehensive, farm-to-fork focus.

What ‘Farm to Fork’ Means for Education

“It’s about connecting the agricultural end-product with the hospitality and tourism industry. Consumers are driving a lot of production practices these days. In Missouri, the ‘grow local’ movement [which encourages people to seek out foods that are raised locally] is huge. We see it with families who want products that are cultivated according to certain specifications and with chefs who want certain kinds of produce. From our perspective, if these things are connected in the consumer’s mind, they ought to be connected in education as well.”

Missouri State student, driving cattle at the Darr Agricultural Center
“In Missouri, we’re at the center of the beef industry,” says Dr. Melissa Bledsoe. DCOAG’s farm-to-fork focus connects agricultural processes, like raising cattle, with the process of preparing products for the market. (Photo by Bob Linder/Missouri State University)

Agribusiness, Small Farms and ‘Value Added’

“The small farm movement has exploded in our region, which is amazing to see. A lot of our students want that path, and it’s a very complex industry to get into. You have to find your market — with the end-consumer in mind.”

“There is a focus now on value-added agriculture. It’s about giving your products something that differentiates them in the market — some added value. It’s become a large component of agriculture. We focus on it in our agribusiness courses, and we will also participate in the Show-Me Value-Added Institute for Colleges and Universities [a Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture]. At value-added institutes, students from different areas of the state will come together and visit different value-added producers. We hope it will spark a ton of ideas and discussions, which is what we want for our students — they’re the future leaders of this industry.”

Enrollment

Bledsoe tells us that, in recent years, there’s been a lot to celebrate in the world of DCOAG enrollment. Numbers of first-time/new-in-college students and transfer students are growing, something Bledsoe calls “a huge accomplishment, coming out of the [COVID-19] pandemic.” There has also been big growth in international programs.

In addition to well-established programs that are foundational to DCOAG’s brand, Bledsoe mentioned some newer programs that are driven by student interest. DCOAG faculty also follow industry trends and projections, with an eye toward recruiting and training students for segments of the economy that have workforce needs. Bledsoe calls this approach “growing forward” because, she says, “We need to grow up our programs and always be moving forward.”

Professor demonstrating technology for three students
Dr. Melissa Bledsoe (center, right) calls DCOAG’s approach to enrollment “growing forward.” (Photo by Kevin White/Missouri State University)

On DCOAG’s Multifaceted Approach

“We’re always asking, ‘What does the incoming student population want?’ We see it as bridging the old and the new. We also want to support the industries that make agriculture in our state so strong, and we want to support future growth in the industry — knowing that the farm isn’t the same as it was, even just 30 years ago.”

“Students have significant interest in our pre-veterinary track and animal science programs. We also see a lot of interest in wildlife and conservation career paths. Our programs in these areas are strong, and we want to continue to lift them up because are students are asking for them.”

Innovation

Missouri State student feeding a puppy
At one of DCOAG’s newest facilities, the Small Animal Education Center, students provide health screenings and training to prepare dogs for adoption. (Photo by Jesse Scheve/Missouri State University)

We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Small Animal Education Center, where students spend weeks working with dogs from the Polk County Humane Society. The students provide health screenings, behavior assessments and training that help prepare dogs for adoption. “We just got our third cohort of dogs in,” Bledsoe says. “It’s amazing to see the animals flourish there and for our students to have this hands-on experience.”

The construction of the Agricultural Innovation Hub is on track to finish later this year. Once this facility opens, students will have a lab space where they can learn to use the latest technology in the field. And DCOAG is embarking on a collegewide strategic planning process, which will help refine the vision for its next chapter.

Why the Agricultural Innovation Hub Is a Big Deal

“If you want to accommodate ag technology, you need space! For a while, we’ve needed a facility where students can gain skills with essential machines. [Once the Agricultural Innovation Hub opens], we can do that, right on our campus. We already have relationships with wonderful farms in our region. Now, we can have our students learn this incredible precision technology — things like drone technology, which is increasingly important in our field. And then we can go to nearby farms and implement it. It will expand our ag technology curriculum, give our students more hands-on experience and deepen our relationships with local farms.”

On Technology’s Increasing Role in Agriculture

“It’s driven by the business side of things. The financials of farming are complex, and the relevant technologies are ever evolving — from biotechnologies to drones. They’re all intended to make farming more efficient; you really have to become as efficient as possible to make the financial piece of your business work. So that’s part of the mindset of our programs.”

Why It’s the Right Time for DCOAG’s Planning Process

“During the academic realignment, we implemented immediate changes. Now, we’re looking at the pieces we might need to add or change to solidify the comprehensive nature of our program. We have amazing facilities and programs. Every once in a while, you have to stop and ask: How we can best help each other? How can we best utilize our resources to meet ever-changing needs in agriculture?”