Agricultural Research and Extension Centers

The Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station conducts research on food and fiber systems, their impact on the environment, and their relation to the future needs of Virginia, the nation, and the world.
VAES faculty are located at 11 Agricultural Research and Extension Centers and within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. AREC faculty and staff, along with faculty based at the main campus, deliver research and Extension programs at these sites, which represent the commonwealth’s diversity and take advantage of the unique characteristics and challenges found in each location. The ARECs serve not only as field-research sites and field laboratories for undergraduate and graduate students, but also as program sites for producers, school groups, and the state's citizens.
Explore our ARECs
You can click on a placemarker to learn more about an AREC. Or, hover over a research focus below the map to show all ARECs associated with this topic. To see more research areas, slide right.
Latest AREC news
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Article ItemEastern Shore researchers make their mark in precision agriculture , article
Students and faculty stationed at the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, situated on a 220-acre farm in Painter, Virginia, use advanced technologies to improve the practices of large- and small-scale farming operations, which face the ongoing challenges of water and pest management.
Date: 02.08.2022 -
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Article ItemVirginia Tech researchers among team awarded $10M from USDA to bring cultivated meat closer to dinner plates , article
Cultivated meat — animal cells grown in vitro to form anything from chicken tenders to salmon fillets — is pushing the boundaries of food production at a time when the agriculture industry is racing to keep up with growing demand. Researchers from Virginia Tech are part of a team awarded $10M from the USDA to usher in the era of lab-to-table protein to help to fill that gap.
Date: 10.20.2021 -
Article ItemGrant beefs up grazing initiative that benefits farmers and environment , article
Virginia Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the University Libraries team up to help cattle farmers be more profitable, protect water quality, and promote environmental stewardship through grazing management.
Date: 10.19.2021 -
Article Item$1 million grant aims to identify and implement ecologically sound grazing practices , article
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension will help deliver research and information to Virginia producers.
Date: 05.25.2021 -
Article ItemCALS advances strategic plan and innovation through integrated seed grant funding , article
CAIA-affiliated projects are composed of teams across agriculture and life sciences academic units as well as data analytics and engineering, including faculty from other colleges, to tackle the big challenges and future opportunities in agriculture and food system.
Date: 05.24.2021
Statewide impact
- Alson H. Smith Jr.
- Eastern Shore
- Eastern Virginia
- Hampton Roads
- Middleburg
- Reynolds Homestead
- Shenandoah Valley
- Southern Piedmont
- Southwest Virginia
- Tidewater
- Virginia Seafood
Scroll down to see an interactive map of all AREC locations.