University of California, Davis, students will soon have a new place to learn the practical side of farm equipment as the result of a partnership with agricultural industry to build a new agricultural equipment teaching and research facility on campus. In addition to students, the facility will serve faculty, equipment manufacturers, growers, and extension specialists who will share state-of-the-art technology and test the latest university-developed equipment advances. To launch the center, a committee organized by the Far West Equipment Dealers Association and representing major equipment manufacturers has initiated a $1 million fund-raising campaign this summer, in cooperation with the UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The money raised will finance planning, constructing and equipping the center. The new center will replace the present Agricultural Practices Facility, a structure built in the early 1950s that is obsolete and unable to meet current student needs, according to David Hills, chair of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The proposed 15,000-square-foot facility, currently called the Center for Agricultural Equipment, will be housed on a 40-acre site a short distance from the central campus. It will integrate all student-oriented practical agricultural programs on campus under one roof while enhancing practical experience for students from a variety of agricultural and nonagricultural majors. The center also will host seminars, workshops, demonstrations, meetings, and a variety of public activities. The campus has agreed to provide initial funding of $150,000 for site preparation, utility infrastructure and professional assistance. In addition, department personnel will be recruited to provide construction specifications and drawings as well as landscaping. Private contributions will be necessary for the structure and for providing the facility with modern equipment.