That's the vision for the Ag Science Center, which has been planned for the west campus of Modesto Junior College for more than a decade.

The vision could become reality sooner than expected, thanks to a drop in the estimated cost from $23 million to $18 million.

As with many construction projects, the recession is the reason, project director Michele Laverty said. About $4 million has been raised, but a big fund-raising push could allow construction to start in 18 to 24 months, she said.

Laverty and other leaders in the effort provided an update to about 75 supporters at a Thursday gathering near Salida.

They saw updated sketches for a center that would use high-tech displays to show how farmers produce food.

One display, for example, invites people to walk through an imaginary mag- nifying glass to see huge images of what's in the soil.