MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Skyland Grain, an operator of grain elevators in Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma, has pledged $50,000 to the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation (KWCRF). It is the second such donation made by Skyland Grain, and is part of KWCRF’s Fields Forward campaign for a sustainable wheat future.

The Fields Forward campaign was established to fund research projects that improve yield and quality, develop and maintain technologies and facilities for future wheat research and cultivate new talent in the wheat breeding and genetics industry.

“This gift is an incredible gesture to Kansas wheat farmers and researchers,” said Aaron Harries, vice-president of research and operations at Kansas Wheat. “It will allow us to properly maintain and improve the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, a facility that marks the largest investment by farmers in wheat research to date.

“This facility has hosted tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe over the last seven years, and it contains the future of wheat genetics in its laboratories and greenhouses. This donation gives our stakeholders peace-of-mind, knowing that the hub they have created for international wheat research will be maintained for years to come.”

Skyland Grain was a founding supporter of the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center when it opened in Manhattan in 2012. The KWCRF was established in 2011 as the official fundraising organization for the Kansas Wheat Commission.

Earlier this year, Skyland Grain merged with United Prairie Ag, LLC (UPA). With the merger, Skyland Grain LLC will have more than 87 million bushels of storage capacity in 36 locations.  Skyland Grain currently operates grain receiving facilities at 27 locations in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado and has a total licensed grain storage capacity of over 56 million bushels.