The Tarleton Agricultural Center (College Farm) is 697.44 acres of land used by Tarleton State University for a variety of educational needs primarily in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences.
Rapid expansion of Tarleton's agriculture-related degree programs in the early to mid-1970s resulted in a $2 million renovation project that included construction of the swine lab, meats lab, two poultry buildings, and a pavilion at the college farm. In addition, the Horticulture Center and Ag mechanics building were added south of campus on Washington Street. In 1982, $2 million in funding was raised to construct the Equine Management Facility in response to the newly introduced horse production program.
Early yearbooks, as far back as 1921, featured photographs of the farm, and one of the earlier mentions comes in relation to efforts to make Tarleton part of the Texas A&M University System in 1917.
Perhaps because of its heritage as an agricultural school, Tarleton seemed to always have had some sort of college farm facilities for use as teaching labs.
A group of students from the Mechanical Arts department built a model replica of the farm which included its two-story residence, barn, silo, and several corrals. They displayed it in the Capital Building in Austin while the legislation was being discussed.
In recent years, during Homecoming Week, a part of the land is used for the traditional L.V. Risinger Memorial Bonfire.
Facilities:
- Dairy Barn
- Dairy Center
- Equine Center
- Farm Maintenance
- Greenhouse (Hydrotron)
- Livestock Center
- Meat Lab
- Poultry Center
- Sheep/Goat Barn
- Swine Center
- Teaching Pavilion
If you have any questions concerning the Observatory, please call at 254-968-9806.