UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) recently released $5.6 million for the construction of a new Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation Center.
The current facility, on Fox Hollow Road near the Agricultural Arena, was built in 1965 on land provided by Penn State, and has been outdated for some time.
PDA desires to build a larger facility at the University’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Center at Rock Springs.
The Livestock Evaluation Center tests and records genetic traits of boars, bulls and rams in a managed environment and provides superior sires to the livestock producers of the Commonwealth and beyond.
Programs at the center are complimentary to the livestock teaching, extension and research programs of the College of Agricultural Sciences and involve faculty, staff and students in the college.
The parcel, which is part of the former Kepler Farm, consists of approximately 25 acres on the south side of Route 45 near the intersection of Route 45 and Tadpole Road.
All costs of planning, construction, operating and maintaining the new facility will be the responsibility of the PDA. The board approved the lease of this site to PDA for $1 for a period of 50 years.
