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AUSTIN, Minn. 鈥� Improving health from the ground up 鈥� that鈥檚 the goal of a futuristic project centered in southeast Minnesota.

The project, being led by the University of Minnesota, is being called FAARM 鈥� .

, dean of the University of Minnesota鈥檚 , says it isn鈥檛 just about ag and it isn鈥檛 just about Minnesota.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e constructing is a one-health concept,鈥� Buhr said. 鈥淩eally trying to integrate soil health with plant health, animal health and human health.鈥�

The FAARM is planned to be in Mower County, in conjunction with Riverland Community College at Austin, which has ag programs of its own.

But also in Austin is the Hormel Institute that partners with the University of Minnesota on cancer research.

鈥淲e work with them on horticultural crops, primarily, and the influence on cancer prevention,鈥� Buhr said.

Doing whole health research across a broad range of grains and livestock won鈥檛 be cheap. The project is projected to cost $220 million. The FAARM project has gotten a big boost from the Hormel Foundation with a $60 million investment.

"The Hormel Foundation is excited to be partnering with the University of Minnesota in its quest to build a new agriculture research and education center in the Austin area,鈥� Jeff Ettinger, chairman of The Hormel Foundation Board, said in a news release.

The Minnesota Legislature is being asked this session to also approve $60 million for FAARM.

In return on that investment, in addition the research benefits, the project is expected to eventually employ 72 workers full time and have an economic impact of $33 million annually on the Austin area.

鈥淚t will have a huge economic impact for the region,鈥� Buhr said.

The research will be comprehensive but also starting small, looking at things like microbiomes and pathogens, constantly collecting data with remote sensors, and looking at details such as manure management and its effect on different soils and how it ultimately affects human health.

Buhr said they looked at ag research complexes from coast-to-coast as part of their feasibility study.

鈥淲e really don鈥檛 see that anywhere else,鈥� Buhr said of the one-health concept. 鈥淭here鈥檚 components, they鈥檙e not necessarily aligned.鈥�

The comprehensive look will also mean bringing in some University of Minnesota research that is currently spread across 10 sites in the state.

For example, the U of M will close some aging animal research facilities at its St. Paul campus and instead use new facilities at the FAARM.

He said there will still be livestock at the St. Paul campus, but primarily as a teaching tool for the students there.

He also said there is crop production research that is unique to various sites such as Crookston, Morris and Lamberton that needs to be maintained.

鈥淲e have data on those sites typically for about 100 years,鈥� Buhr said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 replace that.鈥�

But those sites might not keep doing everything they are currently doing.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at, what do we need that is unique to those sites?鈥� Buhr said, but on the flip side, 鈥渨hat don鈥檛 we need there?鈥�

But a move to the FAARM is still a ways off.

The $60 million from the Hormel Foundation and $60 million as part of the university鈥檚 budget are big pieces, but Buhr said there are discussions going on with other potential private investors, both in ag and in other areas, such as nutrition.

And of course there鈥檚 also designing and building the complex. Buhr said land acquisition is still in process and even how much land is needed hasn鈥檛 been pinned down. The current range is 800 to 1,600 acres.

Buhr said people shouldn鈥檛 expect the Mower County facility to be one contiguous site 鈥� different livestock operations will need some distance from each other, for example 鈥� but will be close enough together to be able to share some equipment and labor.

鈥淭his helps us to more efficiently operate and manage as well,鈥� Burh said.

He said predesign work, such as what all needs to be included in a dairy facility, will begin this summer. After that is completed, it might be another five years for the site to be up and running and will likely evolve in stages.

On the livestock side, he said, dairy and turkeys would likely be first, while beef and hogs would come later. In part, that is because swine buildings at Waseca and Morris still have a good seven to 10 years of use in them, Buhr said.

The site is even planned to have bioenergy generators in the future.

While being in the hometown of Hormel, the Austin location offers other advantages, Buhr said.

He said there is a wide variety of soil types in Mower County, helpful in evaluating different practices.

But he also said being near the intersection of Interstate 35 and Interstate 90 is an advantage in bringing in partners, such as neighbors in Iowa, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Buhr also expressed appreciation for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system that includes Riverland. Adenuga Atewologun, president of Riverland Community College, welcomed the project.

鈥淩iverland serves a key role preparing the region鈥檚 farmers to be successful, and I look forward to partnering with the University of Minnesota for the future benefit of the citizens and farmers of our region,鈥� Atewologun said in an emailed statement.

Regional partners 鈥漜an advance research more quickly and more broadly,鈥� Buhr said.

For that reason, he wants to deemphasize the Minnesota "M" in FAARM.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at it as an investment in research and education for agriculture in Minnesota and the region,鈥� Buhr said.