Picture this: It's a hot summer day. Cows in a field are seeking shade under solar panels. And those panels? They're feeding two electric vehicle chargers -- and powering an office building nearby.  That will be the scene in a few months at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris.

In a recently completed project focused on electricity and fuel consumption in commercial swine facilities, researchers of the WCROC identified the heating as well as the ventilation systems as top users.

Esther Jordan, Communications Specialist for the WCROC, was recently awarded the ROC Outreach Initiative Award for her innovative efforts and creative thinking in marketing and promoting the WCROC.

Weather data collected at the West Central Research and Outreach Center is one of the oldest weather data sets in the Western plains.