Beck Agricultural Center
About
Opened in 2007, the Beck Agricultural Center is an ideal location for hosting educational and agricultural related events, training sessions and board meetings. The facility has five distinct meeting areas, plenty of free, on-site parking, and is located five miles northwest of the Purdue University campus.
BECK HISTORY
Beck's Hybrids is the largest family-owned, retail seed company in the United States. Based in Atlanta, Indiana, the Beck family has invested 80 years in the seed business, and its connection to Purdue is even longer.
The Beck Agricultural Center is a training and research facility that provides opportunities to educate students of all ages, teach adults in the farming community, and accommodate agriculture and industry meetings.
An important part of Beck's partnership with Purdue is ensuring that farmers receive current training, especially in new farming methods as well as plant and pest diagnostics. The company learns from the university's research, and the university learns about practical experience in the field.
Sonny Beck's grandfather, Lawrence, and father, Francis, founded the company in 1937. Lawrence and Francis both attended Purdue short courses. Francis and his wife, Pauline, remained active in the business until their deaths in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
Company CEO Sonny Beck earned his bachelor's degree in agronomy at Purdue in 1962 and his master's in agricultural economics in 1964. His wife, Glendia, attended Purdue and worked in the Department of Animal Sciences for several years while her husband finished his degrees. Their sons, Scott and Tony, and daughter Kim are Purdue graduates and are all part of the company, along with Kim's husband, Todd Marschand; Scott's wife, Shantel; and Tony's wife, Tracey.
Since the beginning, Beck's has been committed to putting the needs of farmers first, which is why Francis Beck created value-added programs like Beck's 100% Free Replant Policy. If there is a need to replant a field of corn, soybeans, wheat or elite alfalfa, as determined by a Beck's representative, Beck's will furnish the seed and royalties free of charge. Beck's has 12 facilities in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Ohio and serves farmers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin. To learn more about Beck's, visit www.beckshybrids.com.
Contact Us
Lauren M. Lee Johnson
Facility & Events Manager
4550 US 52 West
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Phone: (765) 496-7899
Email: lee45@purdue.edu
Learn More About The Rooms
Size: 56 feet by 89 feet
Capacity: Seats up to 250
Setup: Classroom or round tables and fixed chairs
Features: Combination of carpet and hard flooring; 20-foot overhead door with direct exterior access. Specially designed floor surface accommodates farm machinery and other vehicles for hands-on education activities. Ceiling-mounted media projectors, public address system, laptop, microphones, overhead speakers, T-Coil hearing loop, and adjustable lighting. Flip charts and teleconferencing phone available upon request.
Setup: Classroom tables and rolling chairs
Features: Two ceiling-mounted media projectors, two public address systems, two whiteboards, adjustable lighting, laptop, microphones, speakers, counter space, sinks, doors with direct access to the exterior sidewalks, and non-skid hard surface floors for a combination of field and classroom experiences. A portable room divider is available for the space to be divided in half (111 A & 111 B). Flip charts and teleconferencing phone are available upon request.
Size: 30 feet by 32 feet
Capacity: Seats 36 in classroom style
Setup: Classroom tables and rolling chairs
Features: Carpeted floor, elevated ceiling, public address system, laptops, ceiling-mounted media projectors, speakers, adjustable lighting, and whiteboard. Flip charts and teleconferencing phone available upon request.
Size: 15 feet by 22 feet
Capacity: Seats 12
Setup: Conference table and rolling chairs
Features: Rectangular natural-walnut conference table, carpeted floor, built-in cabinet with counter, ceiling-mounted media projector, and adjustable lighting. Flip chart and teleconferencing phone available upon request.