Throckmorton Purdue Agricultural Center (TPAC)

Size and Topography

  • More than 830 managed acres five miles south of Lafayette along U.S. 231 in Tippecanoe County; 567 acres tillable
  • Rolling silt loam soils at the original farm and some variation across the Meigs addition
  • Two active manmade wetlands
  • 20 acres of timber used for forestry research

Heritage

Dr. George Throckmorton donated the property to Purdue Agriculture in 1935 in memory of his father Edmund. It was deemed the “Edmund Throckmorton Farm Memorial” as a tribute to this pioneer leader of Tippecanoe County. In the late 1990s, horticultural and specialty crop research was relocated from the old Horticultural and O’Neall Memorial Farms to the Meigs Farm, which is part of TPAC. The center today encompasses four separate pieces – the home farm, Meigs North, Meigs South, and Meigs East.

Contact Us

Jon Leuck
Director, Purdue Agricultural Centers and Project Coordinator
615 Mitch Daniels Blvd.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2053
Phone: (765) 494-8368
Email: leuckj@purdue.edu​

Alex Helms
Assistant Director, Purdue Agricultural Centers 
615 Mitch Daniels Blvd.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2053
Phone: (765) 494-8367
Email: helms0@purdue.edu

Jay Young
Superintendent, Throckmorton-Purdue Agricultural Center 
8343 South US 231
Lafayette, IN 47909-3422
Phone: (765) 538-3422
Email: jayyoung@purdue.edu

Resources

  • Thirteen high tunnels in operation
  • Crops processing facility with two walk-in coolers for produce and plant materials
  • At the Meigs Farm, 145 acres set up for drip and overhead irrigation, and the site has been extensively tiled for optimum drainage
  • Five full-time employees, including a horticulture crops manager and specialty crops specialist
  • Seasonal labor
  • Twilight tours, topic-specific workshops, biannual pruning workshop

 CURRENT RESEARCH

TPAC is unique in its close proximity to campus. It is home to almost one-third of Purdue agricultural research projects, with current work involving 30 different crops. Research focuses on weed management, insect management, soil fertility, agronomic crop production, ornamentals, fruit and vegetable production, biological controls, systems engineering, hardwood production, woodland and habitat management, and resistance management of weeds and insects. New areas of interest include organic and high tunnel vegetable production.

Researchers from the departments of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Botany and Plant Pathology, Entomology, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture are currently working at TPAC and the Meigs Farm.


Learn More About PAC's

Pruning Workshop

Pruning Workshop

PAC Events

PAC Events

farmers on edge of field during training day
2023 Field Days & Training Events

Field Days. The Purdue Agricultural Centers (PACS) will be offering public field days, workshops, and other events in 2023. These events provide educational opportunities for commodity producers, crop/livestock advisers, and others seeking...

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