U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, visited the Cargill Innovation Center (CIC) in Wichita, Kansas, as part of his observance of National Agriculture Day on March 18.
During his visit, Marshall toured the 75,000-square-foot facility that is part of Cargill Protein’s operations. CIC features, according to information from its website, include:
- Foodservice presentation room: Simulating a restaurant dining room with top-line equipment and demo cooking island as well as adjoining patio with outdoor grilling capabilities
- USDA-inspected pilot plant: Facility for testing equipment and processes for use in protein facilities, including a smoker, fryer, ready-to-eat product area, and tenderness test area
- Food safety labs: Fully equipped pathogen labs for development, testing and validation of food safety interventions
- Product analytical labs: Labs for microbiology and chemistry to improve product consistency and quality
- Retail presentation area: Our consumer kitchen and display areas simulate a grocery store, convenience store or deli environment
- Ingredients and seasoning room: A variety of seasonings and ingredients are mixed to create rubs, marinades and other flavorings
- Sensory center: Access to our large internal pool of consumers, specific expert taste panels and focus groups
- Shelf life testing areas: Retail display case, refrigeration and freezer units provide simulations of post-production storage conditions
Also during his National Agriculture Day trip, Marshall visited the Tractor Supply Company (TSC) store in Eureka and the Flickner Innovation Farm in Moundridge.
“National Agriculture Day serves as a platform to recognize the amazing contributions of our farmers and ranchers who work tirelessly to keep America supplied with nutritious food and critically important resources like biofuels,” Marshall said in a press release. “The United States has the safest, most affordable, and most available real food supply on earth — and it’s not even close. I will always fight to advance Kansas’ agricultural priorities, support our farmers and ranchers, and strengthen our food supply.”
Marshall, who has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2021, is a member of the Senate Committee for Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and has gained attention as a key proponent of the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act.
Prior to his time in the U.S. Senate, Marshall served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
Also on National Agriculture Day, two of Marshall's colleagues on the Senate agriculture committee, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, met with turkey producers in their home state of Minnesota. Klobuchar and Smith are both Democrats.
