Being situated in the middle of the United States has its advantages. One of those 
advantages is this Midwest agricultural region is the most bountiful for farming. Wheat, corn, soy, hogs, poultry, and cattle fill the farmland of the Midwest with the majority of the food supply for the country and also supplies food for the rest of the world.
St. Joseph is situated in the Midwest’s Agricultural Research Triangle where companies, universities, researchers, and farmers team together to test and discover the most efficient and effective ways that bioscience can benefit the country. The triangle of research is framed by Kansas State University on the west, the University of Missouri- Columbia on the east, the University of Nebraska on the north, and Kansas City on the south.
The field of bioscience is a $19 billion global industry that includes animal health, pharmaceutical development, and nutrition. Those in bioscience and agricultural sciences conduct agricultural research so farmers can grow the most pest-resistant, drought-tolerant, resilient crops. Their research helps find medicines to keep animals from suffering from disease, viruses, or illness. Their research develops ways for crops to be turned into energy and fuel for the world to use. Situated in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, St. Joseph researchers and bioscience companies benefit from being right in the middle of all the latest research, news, and technology in the bioscience field.
Within this triangle, at least five major universities offer special programs for those in the agricultural sciences field. Locally, Missouri Western State University (MWSU) offers the Institute of Industrial & Applied Life Sciences and the Kit Bond Science and Technology Incubator to help bioscience and agricultural business partners join together in research and training. Within this agricultural sciences triangle there are eight similar incubators that help find solutions in bioscience with the collaboration of educated professional individuals and companies. Just a little over an hour southwest of St. Joseph, the University of Kansas in Lawrence offers the country’s only MBA program for Animal Health.
In St. Joseph, multiple companies work in the agricultural sciences and the bioscience field. Both Nestle Purina and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. have their research headquarters in St. Joseph. Both companies are two of the 10 largest animal health companies in the world. Companies like Agri Laboratories, LTD, Ameri-Pac, Inc., Biozyme, Bayer Healthcare LLC, Boehringer Ingleheim Vetmedica, Inc., and Vedco distribute animal health products and veterinary supplies. Nestle-Purina and Star Labs manufacture pet food or ingredients that go into animal feed.
While some people might think that all the action happens on the coasts, the country’s backbone of farming happens right here in the Midwest. Agriculture isn’t just about farms. It’s about testing products, collaborating with partners, and applying the most innovative research to help the products from our fields and farms prosper for the entire nation.
