Ag Matters: Kay Connelly, Vital to Nashua Research Facility

There was a fair amount of learning that took place at the 50th Anniversary of the Borlaug Learning Center and Northeast Research Facility in Nashua on September 10th. Some of that learning that took place was finding out who was extremely instrumental in creation of the facility. 

A name that kept recurring was that of Kay Connelly, who was also present at the celebration. Connelly who is now 92 years old has been involved with the Northeast Research Facility for over 50 years and later the Borlaug Learning Center in 2009. While the research farm and Borlaug Center may be Connelly’s two major bricks-and-mortar accomplishments, he drew his primary satisfaction from working with individual farmers and agribusinesses.  He came to Waterloo-Cedar Falls in 1968 as an Extension crop production specialist, eventually covering 13 counties in the northeast corner of the state.

Tim Burrack, President of the Northeast Iowa Agriculture Experimental Association said in his opening statement,

Connelly raised his cane and stood among a group of about 12 other individuals who were pertinent to the origination of the farm. Kay was interviewed for a video that was presented during the ceremony. This is everything he had to say,

Without Connelly and a multitude of other individuals who were vital to the origination of the research farm, who knows if they would have been able to celebrate the 50th anniversary on September 10th. It’s stories like this that can live the test of time and keep hope for future generations to come.