Wayne Farms on Thursday announced a $500,000 donation toward a $7 million research feed mill for Mississippi State University’s Department of Poultry Science, Case Farms contributed $20,000 to the Children’s Hope Alliance, and Perdue Farms announced a $8,510 grant to the Fall Creek Community Volunteer Fire Department in East Bend, North Carolina, according to Meatingplace.

Wayne Farms’ donation will allow scientists to develop and test new additives, ingredients, and feed formulations, MSU said. It is part of a multi-phased, department-wide facility expansion and upgrade campaign underwritten by university funds and donations from Wayne and other industry leaders. The new mill offers nearly 5,000 square feet of interior processing space for grinding, batching, pelletizing and bagging systems, and additional space for ingredient and finish feed storage as well as outside grain storage areas.

Case Farms’ contribution denoted the company as the title sponsor of the Children’s Hope Alliance’s “Giving Them Hope” luncheon for the sixth time. “We’re thrilled to double our previous donation to help bring even more awareness to how the nonprofit is meeting the needs of children and families in our community,” Case Farms Vice Chairman and CEO Mike Popowycz said.

Perdue Farms’ grant will enable the Fall Creek Community Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a new 1,500-foot fire hose. The fire department protects about 60 growout houses, most of which are associated with Perdue. The rural district does not have access to a public water system, and the donation of a fire hose from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation allows the department to pump water from the closest water source in a greater volume, the fire chief said.