The Texas A&M Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center turns 20 this year.
According to The Eagle, the facility opened under the direction of former A&M professor Leonard Pike. The original focus of the center was vegetable research, namely the benefits of the different varieties and how to produce vegetables that are economically and environmentally more efficient. In 1999, the center expanded to include fruit in its research scope.
The center gained some notoriety for producing the Maroon Carrot and the 1015 Onion but has also developed educational programs for children, along with cutting-edge research programs.
For more on the Eagle story click here. For more on the center click here.
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