BOZEMAN -- With the $150,000 pledge from Stockman Bank of Montana, Montana State University's College of Agriculture is almost half-way to its financial goals for a state-of-the-art animal bioscience teaching and outreach facility.

The $12 million teaching and outreach facility will combine with a $22 million USDA-ARS research building in a $34 million Animal Bioscience Complex at MSU. The research building will be dedicated to work on functional bovine genetics in partnership with the MSU College of Agriculture, USDA/ARS in Miles City, and the U.S. Meat Animal Research Facility at Clay Center, Nebraska. The teaching and outreach facility will ensure that students and producers are kept abreast of state-of-the-art research.

"The livestock industry is very important to Montana, and we are proud to be part of this exciting project," said Bob Lucas, chief executive officer of Stockman Bank. With 21 full service locations in Montana, Stockman is the 17th largest agricultural lender in the U.S. and has long been the largest Ag bank in Montana.

"This commitment by Stockman demonstrates local business' belief in the future of education in agriculture at MSU," said Caren Coffee, a member of the MSU Ag Development Committee and a vice president of Stockman Bank. "With the U.S. Congress approving $4 million for the $22 million USDA/ARS research building, private industry must step up and guarantee that the $12 million teaching facility is funded as well."

More than $5 million in gifts and pledges have been secured from private sources for the teaching facilities of the Animal Bioscience Complex. "This is almost halfway towards our goal of $12 million of private funds, and we are deeply grateful to Stockman Bank for their tremendous support," said Jeff Jacobsen, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Montana Ag Experiment Station.