The work of the Food Innovation Center at Colorado State University’s Spur campus supports and nurtures a variety of evolving and iterative work from small startups to large corporations, navigating the journey of food from field to fork and making sure everyone has a seat at the table.
Thanks to a generous gift from Denver-based Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and grain-based ingredient company, the center can now expand that impact through the new Ardent Mills Teaching and Culinary Center.
“At Ardent Mills, we believe innovation can help shape the way the world eats for the better,” said Phoenix Dugger, senior manager of ESG at Ardent Mills. “Through this interdisciplinary approach with the CSU Spur campus and the Food Innovation Center, we aim to cultivate diverse talent and leadership, advance sustainable agriculture practices and uncover opportunities to enhance nutrition and food accessibility for communities across the country.”
“The vision of a multi-purpose teaching and culinary space at CSU Spur is brought to life by this support,” said Jocelyn Hittle, associate vice chancellor for the Spur campus and special projects. “We know there is need for space and support for the development of new food products, but also need for cooking and nutrition classes, and this support will ensure that CSU Spur is meeting a wide range of needs, in both the business and local community.”
Sustain, support, engage
Housed within the Spur campus’s Terra building, the Ardent Mills Teaching and Culinary Center is part of a strategic partnership that will focus on promoting the science of regenerative agriculture systems, agricultural literacy and career pathways, and innovation in food, nutrition, agribusiness and the food industry.
“This generous donation will go a long way toward supporting programming at Spur and helping to fulfill its goal of becoming a destination for lifelong learning,” Food Innovation Center Director Michael Gabel said.
In addition to providing funding for food, materials and equipment for many of Spur’s food innovation programs, Ardent Mills will also provide technical expertise and guidance to smaller entrepreneurs who are exploring new markets such as plant-based and gluten-free alternatives.
“Ardent Mills has an extensive portfolio of products and technical expertise which provides an incredible opportunity for our younger entrepreneurs looking to get into more niche markets or even more seasoned companies that are looking to diversify,” Gabel added.
The funding will also allow for the expansion of current programs such as Cam’s Ag Academy, and collaborations with groups such as the Boys and Girls Club and FFA, while providing engagement opportunities such as community kitchen space and culinary classes for both amateur and professional chefs.
“Thanks to Ardent Mills’ generous gift, we see infinite possibilities for programing in this space,” Gabel said. “It means more access to purchase ingredients, to hire instructors and to give us a chance to really open up more programing in that space for lifelong learners.”
“We are proud to recognize Ardent Mills for their generous support of our CSU community,” said Vice President for University Advancement Derek Dictson. “This meaningful partnership helps our teams to advance agriculture, innovation and nutrition, as well as other programs offered at CSU Spur, and for that, we are grateful.”
About CSU Spur
CSU Spur is a free educational year-round public destination in Denver focused on engaging PreK-12 students, families, and visitors around food, water, and health. CSU Spur is a non-degree granting campus that showcases the work of the CSU System campuses: CSU, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global. Spur is built upon the land-grant mission of access to education and the belief that students can be anything they want to be. To inspire students and visitors to engage in important world issues, CSU Spur will bring together scientists to collaborate, put science on-display, and showcase career paths. The CSU Spur campus provides immersive learning experiences and cutting-edge research across three buildings: Vida, Terra, and Hydro. Learn more at CSUSpur.org.
About Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills is committed to transforming how the world is nourished. As the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, we cultivate the future of plant-based solutions to help our customers and communities thrive. We operate in more than 40 locations that specialize in flour, quinoa, pulses, and organic and gluten-free products that drive emerging nutrition and innovation across plant-based ingredients. Our holistic portfolio empowers us to meet the complex needs of customers today while focusing on the growing needs of tomorrow’s consumer. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, we operate in Canada, the US and Puerto Rico with company headquarters in Denver, Colorado. We employ more than 100 certified millers and support thousands of local jobs that contribute billions of dollars to local economies — helping our people, our customers, and families everywhere flourish. To learn more about our mission and our solutions, visit ardentmills.com.
