Design Phase Begins for Livestock Innovation Center
Cow Country News: August 2025 - Draft floor plans for the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center were presented to the Construction Oversight Committee during a series of meetings in June and July, marking a key step forward for the state-funded project.
Earlier this year, the committee selected Branscum Construction as the project’s construction manager and Sherman Carter Barnhart as the architect/engineer. Since then, the committee and other industry stakeholders have met several times to define the building’s goals, functions, and priorities. These meetings were critical for aligning expectations and ensuring the design reflects the needs of its users and the mission and purpose set forth by the livestock industry.
In June, the committee reviewed initial floor plans that reflect months of input from across Kentucky’s agriculture community. From early planning discussions to recent stakeholder meetings, the Livestock Center’s design has been guided by feedback from producers, educators, and other partners with a shared vision for the building’s potential. These initial plans represent an important milestone, leading into the full design development phase set to take place later this year, when detailed renderings and final layouts will be crafted and shared.
Earlier this year, the committee selected Branscum Construction as the project’s construction manager and Sherman Carter Barnhart as the architect/engineer. Since then, the committee and other industry stakeholders have met several times to define the building’s goals, functions, and priorities. These meetings were critical for aligning expectations and ensuring the design reflects the needs of its users and the mission and purpose set forth by the livestock industry.
In June, the committee reviewed initial floor plans that reflect months of input from across Kentucky’s agriculture community. From early planning discussions to recent stakeholder meetings, the Livestock Center’s design has been guided by feedback from producers, educators, and other partners with a shared vision for the building’s potential. These initial plans represent an important milestone, leading into the full design development phase set to take place later this year, when detailed renderings and final layouts will be crafted and shared.
Every element of the facility is being built with the goal of supporting, strengthening, and celebrating Kentucky’s livestock industry. The draft design includes a flexible education and conference space for up to 300 people, along with a state-of-the-art culinary training center featuring two kitchens: one designed for teaching and demonstrations with multiple cooking stations, and the other serving as a small-scale commercial kitchen for food service training. Additional spaces include collaborative work areas, additional meeting rooms for groups of 5 to 25, and outdoor gathering areas such as a covered patio with built-in grilling space. A dedicated media production studio, added in response to stakeholder feedback, will support high-quality video and photography for producer interviews, cooking demonstrations, and recipe development.
Throughout the review process, the committee has remained focused on one of the center’s most defining features: its location on the scenic University of Kentucky C. Oran Little Research Center in Woodford County. Situated on nearly 1,500 acres of rolling farmland, the site offers a striking and functional setting for the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center. This opportunity was made possible through a public-private partnership between the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation and the University of Kentucky to locate the center on 15 acres of the research farm as part of a long-term lease agreement.
“The site has such beautiful views in just about every direction, I can’t wait for everyone to see the finished product,” said Oversight Committee member, Cary King. “As much as we’re looking forward to seeing it built, it’s important that we take the time necessary to make sure we’re creating an asset that every livestock producer can use to help their family farms thrive for generations to come.”
Altogether, by uniting education, research, and collaboration in one dynamic space, the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center will honor the Commonwealth’s rich agricultural legacy while creating meaningful economic development opportunities. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with completion targeted for Fall 2027.
Throughout the review process, the committee has remained focused on one of the center’s most defining features: its location on the scenic University of Kentucky C. Oran Little Research Center in Woodford County. Situated on nearly 1,500 acres of rolling farmland, the site offers a striking and functional setting for the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center. This opportunity was made possible through a public-private partnership between the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation and the University of Kentucky to locate the center on 15 acres of the research farm as part of a long-term lease agreement.
“The site has such beautiful views in just about every direction, I can’t wait for everyone to see the finished product,” said Oversight Committee member, Cary King. “As much as we’re looking forward to seeing it built, it’s important that we take the time necessary to make sure we’re creating an asset that every livestock producer can use to help their family farms thrive for generations to come.”
Altogether, by uniting education, research, and collaboration in one dynamic space, the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center will honor the Commonwealth’s rich agricultural legacy while creating meaningful economic development opportunities. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with completion targeted for Fall 2027.
