Modesto-based Ag Science Center will close. Here’s why the ambitious program can’t carry on
The end is near for a Modesto-based program best known for teaching food-related science at middle schools.
The National Ag Science Center launched in 1996 with the goal of building an interactive museum at Modesto Junior College.
That never happened, but the center did spread the word about the diverse careers in farming and food processing. It created the Ag in Motion trailer, where middle-schoolers could try their hand with microscopes and other gear.
The program announced in an email Thursday that it will shut down June 30 because attendance never recovered from the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Unfortunately, beginning with the pandemic, the NASC has suffered losses in revenue, personnel and the call for participation in our schools and community events,” the center said.
It plans to donate its remaining assets to the MJC Foundation and the Stanislaus Community Foundation.
The center also had a summer program where teachers could learn how to work food science into classes from elementary through high school. And it created the county’s Ag Hall of Fame, with annual inductions of farmers and supporters.
In 2019, the center came under the management of Stanislaus State University. A year later, COVID-19 started limiting in-person activities.
