Ag center expands educational opportunities

JOLIET, Ill. — The Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center has been a hub of activity for nearly two decades, hosting workshops, seminars, expos, livestock and horticulture judging, countless opportunities for students of all ages and other events.

The Joliet Junior College facility, located across the highway from Chicago Motor Speedway, features 10,800 square feet of arena space and 6,900 square feet in the exhibit hall, accommodating large groups of up to 500 guests. It also has rooms that can be rented by outside groups.

The center most recently hosted the district proficiency contest where FFA members met with judges to showcase their Supervised Agricultural Experience projects.

During a recent University of Illinois Extension Agronomy Summit, Julie Barr, JJC Land Lab manager, said the facility opened in 2007 as an extension of JJC’s Main Campus.

“We host livestock judging contests here in the area. We also have an immersion event where we bring in high school students. They rotate around to six or seven different sessions. It’s to immerse them into an ag topic to get them interested, maybe hands-on ag careers, and then potentially maybe come through the ag program at Joliet,” she said.

“The facility also hosts a 360 Truck Driving School that uses it year-round. We have fork truck training, pig sales, sheep sales, you name it. It’s a very versatile space.”

The center also has a live animal wing.

“Right now we have some sheep in there with lambs. We bring in pigs. We bring in cattle. They’ve had some chickens and horses to supplement vet tech and animal science class. So, that way on their labs they can get that hands-on, real-life experience,” Barr said.

“It adds a three-dimensional aspect to their course work. This building has been instrumental for the students.

“For the livestock judging contest in early April, this wing will be full of multiple species, and that brings 350 or so high school and junior high students.

“For the farm, we have a 100-acre land lab split between the main campus and out here. All of the equipment that’s college-owned is housed here.”

JJC dedicated the Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center’s arena as the William B. Johnson Arena on May 24, 2018.

“He was instrumental in getting this property. He was my adviser when I was a student. I feel there was no better champion for ag eduction than Bill Johnson. He was a great guy,” Barr said.

Generous Donation

The Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center was made possible through the generous donation of 32 acres of land by John H. Weitendorf Sr., a 1942 JJC alumnus, to the JJC Foundation in 1999.

While students, faculty and the community of JJC enjoy this educational resource, it also serves as a reminder of John Weitendorf’s generosity and the longstanding tradition of JJC alumni contributing to the educational mission of the college.