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Pork facility expansion supports South Dakota agriculture

A ribbon cutting happened this week for the $1.8 million newly expanded Swine Education and Research Facility at South Dakota State University.

“We’re able to build two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms, and that allows us to finish and do research on every group of animals that’s farrowed here at South Dakota State University,” Bob Thaler, a swine specialist with SDSU Extension, tells Brownfield.

The South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, South Dakota Pork Producers Council, Minnesota Pork and South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council provided the money to cover the expansion.

He says South Dakota’s pork industry is growing, which is why this expansion is needed.

“It increases the market for the crops that we raise locally, but long term, hopefully it’s going to make a much more sustainable and stable environment in rural communities.”

SDSU says the new facilities will be fully operational by mid-October, increasing SDSU’s total wean-to-finish capacity to 1,800 head.

The Department of Animal Science and SDSU Extension will also host SDSU Swine Day on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Club 71 in Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.