Education & Research Center

Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard partnered with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to create the Kimmel Education and Research Center, an on-site facility focusing on community vitality initiatives and youth science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

Planting the Seeds of Innovation 

The Kimmel Education and Research Center represents a unique collaboration between the Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard Educational Foundation, Inc., and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Located on-site, the Kimmel team partners with extension office educators to provide a variety of advanced learning opportunities, including:

  • Leadership Development & Coaching
  • Alternative Agriculture Programming & Assistance
  • Science-Focused Youth Development

Research-Based & Agricultural-Focused

Kimmel Education and Research Center offers six different programs with two main focuses—community vitality initiatives and youth science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

Learn more about the opportunities available to you via the extension office and introduce yourself to the program offerings below.

Program Offerings

orchard trail hayrack ride sign and people walking
Agritourism

Gaining educational insights while visiting a farm or agribusiness is the goal of the study of agritourism. This includes developing innovative approaches to connect tourists to working farms and agribusinesses.

student writing on paper in front of classroom
Education

Educators from the University of Nebraska’s Cooperative Extension Division assist agricultural producers in implementing innovative marketing strategies and production techniques on their own farms.

innovations poster and classroom
Research Programs

The Kimmel Education and Research Center promotes growth in research and economic opportunities by developing value-added products and expanding markets in Nebraska and the region.

man standing among trees
Specialty Forestry Crops

The floral industry could benefit from studies underway in harvestable woody and other forestry crops such as corkscrew willow and colored dogwoods.

two girls holding apples
Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture seeks to minimize waste and the environmental impact of farming. We put that theory into practice. Information about these efforts can be found throughout the orchard and along the trails.

vineyard
Viticulture

Viticulture is grape production and vineyard management, and it involves a complex interaction with the soil, topography, and climate.