PEMBROKE — A project designed to educate local farmers and college students about new technology and innovative farming techniques is underway, according to the executive director of the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub.

The UNCP AG Health Center will provide a place for research, learning and technology that will help farmers adopt innovations to traditional farming practices, said Thomas Hall, Hub director.

The project will cost between $250,000 to $2 million, depending on other developments, Hall said. The Hub has obtained $250,000 from donors and sponsors of the project that will be situated on 15 acres of land.

“We have enough to buy the land to get it started,” Hall said.

The project is still in the planning phase, which should be completed over the next six months, he said. Green houses and other equipment will be placed on the property by the end of the year. More sponsors are also being sought for the project.

The Hub hopes to break ground on the 5,000-square-foot building in as little as 12 months, as more funding is secured, Hall said.

The building will be located at Deep Branch Road and Comtech Drive in Pembroke, said Ed Hunt, project director and Sustainable Agriculture director at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. It will contain labs, classrooms, offices and innovative technologies to be used in farming.

“We’re trying to bring in new agricultural methods and products and demonstrate them, adapt them to this area,” Hall said.

The goal is to increase economic vitality, agricultural production and locally sourced products, he said.

Students from UNCP and other colleges can conduct research and fieldwork at the facility, Hunt said.

Equipment such as high tunnels will be available for farmers to view. High tunnels, or hoop houses, use plastic tunnels to cover large hoop structures that remain open at the ends. The structures resemble green houses, but are often made out of fabric or plastic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“High tunnels allow you to grow produce all year-round,” Hall said. “If you have high tunnels, you can grow 12 months out of the year, so you can supply constantly.”

The facility also will offer specialized training in Good Agricultural Practices, or GAP.

“We are all part of one collaborative project to grow products here that maybe have never been grown here,” Hunt said.

The Hub also hopes to tackle future issues of hunger in the county.

In 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people, according to the United Nations. The increase of about 2 billion people is a concern for Hunt.

“We got to figure out what it means to grow food on less land,” Hunt said.

He hopes research at the UNCP AG Health Center can help provide that solution.