The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council announced a $1.2-million commitment to expand the Swine Education and Research Facility at South Dakota State University. The grant will fund the addition of two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms to the existing complex and double the facility’s research capabilities.
“Pork producers are a valued partner of corn farmers, and underpinning that demand for corn is the need to always improve research capabilities. This gift enables SDSU’s swine program to take a tremendous step forward and we are pleased to help support fellow producers in this manner," says South Dakota Corn Utilization Council President Jim Ketelhut.
SDSU President Barry Dunn explains this expansion would not be possible without this generous gift from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council and its support of the pork producers in the region.
"The Swine Education and Research Facility has become a vital part of the swine industry in South Dakota and has helped establish SDSU as a leader in swine teaching and research," Dunn says. "This expansion will allow SDSU to continue to attract the brightest students from around the country who will become the next generation of industry leaders and innovators.”
The South Dakota Pork Producers shared their gratitude for this donation. President Adam Krause explains that the SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility is "a testament of what happens when the entire ag industry supports each other so innovation and education can take place."
SDSU students and faculty have benefited tremendously from this facility since it opened in 2016, points out Joe Cassady, South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at SDSU.
“SDSU has established itself as a leader in the swine industry with a growing reputation for impactful research around nutrition and management. Livestock production was the initial 'value-added' for corn, grains and soybeans, and it continues to utilize a very significant amount of these products every day," says Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist Bob Thaler. "The addition of these research rooms will help us further increase demand for corn and other locally produced feedstuffs. Also, from a sustainability standpoint, nothing is more environmentally friendly than the symbiotic relationship between crops and livestock production.”
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