Researchers and educators now perform 21st century science and education in facilities constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. These buildings and facilities –which are at the foundation of our nation’s food, fuel, and fiber security and at the starting point of food and agricultural innovations – have not received capital infrastructure investment sufficient to avoid leaky roofs or to update air circulation and HVAC systems. The findings of this study reinforce an urgent call for federal investment in agricultural research infrastructure at our nation’s colleges and schools of agriculture. As we describe in this study, federal investment would drive both short-term and long-term economic growth. We anticipate that 200,000 new local jobs will result from investment for capital infrastructure to address the deferred maintenance at colleges and schools agriculture.