Wayne Farms LLC has pledged $175,000 to the construction of a state-of-the-art poultry research unit at Auburn University.
“We’re happy to invest in a new farm facility that will thrive, not only now, but for the next several decades,” Wayne Farms President and CEO Elton Maddox said in presenting the gift to Auburn College of Agriculture and Department of Poultry Science administrators. “The ability to support innovative ideas and research is an opportunity Wayne Farms proudly stands behind.”
The new facilities will replace Auburn’s existing Poultry Research Farm, which was built more than 40 years ago.
“We’re very appreciative of this gift to help improve our capabilities within the poultry research field,” said Don Conner, head of the poultry science department at Auburn. “Because we strive to integrate all aspects of the poultry industry’s ‘farm-to-fork’ process, we know investments in this farm facility positively impact both food and poultry science instruction, research and extension.”
Wayne Farms has long been involved with Auburn’s poultry science program and has hired numerous Auburn students through its summer internship program in recent years. Conner said the poultry science department at Auburn is dedicated to producing graduates who are ready for the real world. “Collaboration between industry partners like Wayne Farms is incredibly important for our students in giving them invaluable hands-on industry experience,” Conner said.
In a meeting at Wayne Farms’ headquarters to announce the company’s gift to the new research facility, Wayne Farms executives and Auburn University college leaders discussed industry research needs, research unit capabilities and innovative construction ideas that will extend the usability of the new unit.
Among those present were, from Auburn, Conner and College of Agriculture Interim Dean Arthur Appel and, from Wayne Farms, Maddox, Vice President and General Manager of Prepared Foods Division John Flood and Vice President and COO Clint Rivers. “We need to help build agriculture programs and provide the mechanisms that strengthen research,” Maddox said.
