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.”