Hubbard Feeds Inc., a leading U.S. commercial animal nutrition company, announced that it has committed $50,000 toward construction of the new Cow-Calf and Swine Education and Research Facilities at South Dakota State University (SDSU).

The Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility has an expected construction cost in excess of $6 million. This unit will include a main building (offices, laboratory space, conference center), a multi-purpose building for maternity and/or livestock evaluation pens, a monoslope research building, and replicated pastures for grazing management research. Nearly $5.3 million in funding for this project has been secured to date. This facility is projected to be ready for students, faculty and visitors in the spring of 2016.

The Swine Education and Research Facility Project calls for the construction of three new state-of-the-art complexes, with expected costs in excess of $7 million. The new buildings will include a teaching, intensive research and sow building, a four-room wean-to-finish barn, and a commercial 1,200-head wean-to-finish barn located at a separate site for biosecurity purposes. Construction is expected to wrap-up by the spring of 2016. To date, over $7 million has been designated toward this project, including more than $4 million in private donations.

“Hubbard Feeds and the South Dakota State University Department of Animal Science have a shared goal to improve the health, performance and well-being of food animals. We greatly appreciate Hubbard’s support in the construction of both the SDSU Cow-Calf Education and Research Unit and the SDSU Swine Education and Research Unit,” said Dr. Joseph Cassady, SDSU Animal Science Department Head. “These new facilities are critical resources for educating students and conducting research necessary for achieving our shared goals,” he added.