COLUMBIA, MO. — The University of Missouri Board of Curators recently voted to name a new meat science laboratory after former Missouri Governor Mike Parson.

“Today, the board voted to honor a true champion of Missouri’s greatest industry,” said Todd Graves, chair of the UM Board of Curators. “I come from a long line of cattlemen and farmers. I know the importance of agriculture to our state, and I am grateful for public servants who recognize the industriousness and ingenuity of Missouri farmers. I am privileged that one of my first acts as board chair will be to celebrate Governor Parson and his legacy in advancing agricultural education and workforce development.”

The new building, The Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory, is set to be part of the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and provides tools and technologies for the state’s meat processing industry.

“As a third-generation cattleman, I can think of few greater honors than to have my name on a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to teaching and training Missouri’s next generation of meat farmers,” Parson said. “I proudly supported the work of the University of Missouri to advance agriculture in our state during my tenure as governor, and I am grateful that the Board of Curators has seen fit to recognize our shared vision for the future of Missouri with this distinction.”

In recent Missouri budget bills for 2023 and 2024, Parson and the state provided $35 million for the facility. Parson was in office as governor of Missouri since 2018.

“Governor Parson’s bold leadership and support to the University of Missouri System over the past eight years empowered our educational, research, outreach and workforce development missions,” said Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “As governor, he made significant investments in workforce and infrastructure programs to create educational and economic impact to Missourians.”

Other agricultural policies Parson helped pass while governor include an income tax credit to farmers who sold or leased land to beginning farmers, a veterinary student loan repayment program, and broader tax credits for agribusiness operations across the state. From 2019 to 2024, Parson and the Missouri legislature appropriated roughly $4 billion to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

“This new facility will promote innovation in meat processing through research, provide training to our workforce on the latest technology and best practices, and inform communities across the state on food sourcing and sustainability,” said Christopher Dauber, vice chancellor and dean of CAFNR. “Agriculture is a critical industry in our state, and fostering growth in food manufacturing entrepreneurship is a responsibility we take seriously at MU.”

When completed, the new facility will consolidate the abattoir and Don Naumann Muscle Foods Processing Laboratory, also known as the Mizzou Meat Market.

Other updates include expanded lab space, classroom space and faculty offices to build the state’s only working and teaching laboratory, which is entirely devoted to meat processing.  

MU expects to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on the new meat building on April 18, 2025, with it expected to be finished sometime in 2026.