Meet the New Food Innovation Center!

The new Food Innovation Center is open just in time for winter classes! We will welcome KVCC students in the Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems and Sustainable Brewing programs to our new facility on January 11. 

The courses CUL 100: Food Safety Essentials and AGF 110: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems will use the new classroom. Students taking AGF 140: Winter Crops Practicum will help plant the first crops in our greenhouse and indoor grow room.

The Food Innovation Center building and parking lot, with Bronson Hospital in the background. 

The sun came out to power up our solar panels, and to let me get a good picture! 

Here's what KVCC students need to know about the new building:

Getting here is easy. The address is 224 E. Crosstown, right next to Kalamazoo Public Safety. There is parking on site, as you can see in the photo above. You can also get here on the #13 Burdick bus (some of the drivers will drop you off right in front if you ask). We also have plenty of bike parking - bonus points if you ride in the winter!

The floor plan is simple. Use the main door near the parking lot, on the south side of the building. You'll enter into the Visitor Center / lobby. The offices, bathrooms, lockers, and the only classroom are on the left (in that order). The indoor grow room where AGF 140 will meet is on the right (and it's pretty hard to miss). 

Our staff is excited to see you!  It's very quiet here and we can't wait to have students in the building. Working in the office here you'll find Cheryl K Jones, Office Specialist; Randall Davis, Food Hub and Food Safety Coordinator; Ben Bylsma, Production Manager; Rachel Bair, Director for Sustainable and Innovative Food Systems; Mariel Borgman, Community Food Systems Educator from MSU Extension, and a few adjunct faculty, part-time staff, and other members of the Bronson Healthy Living Campus team. We're supported by Jerry Lentz and Claudia Barbee from the Facilities department, and by the ACC IT department. Please come let us know if you need anything!

More information on the building and its programs to come as we get settled in - stay tuned, and we'll see you soon!