AMES, Iowa — Farm Credit Services of America has provided a $200,000 gift to help establish the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center at Iowa State University.
“We are extremely grateful to the Farm Credit Services of America,” said Wendy Wintersteen, dean of ISU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This commitment represents an investment in the future agricultural leaders we are preparing at Iowa State.”
“The educational focus of the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center perfectly aligns with Farm Credit Services of America’s interest in promoting agricultural education and supporting young and beginning farmers,” said Jim Knuth, senior vice president of Farm Credit Services of America. “We’re proud to be able to support this new facility at Iowa State.”
Ground was broken Sept. 1 for the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, which will be located on land south of campus currently used by the Department of Animal Science’s equine program. Plans for the facility include an indoor 125-foot-by-250-foot arena with seating for 1,000 people, a set of classrooms and a conference room. The center will be a versatile, multipurpose resource for courses, labs, training programs, student club and judging team activities, and public events.
Construction of the $7 million center will be funded entirely through private gifts, including a $2 million gift announced by Jeff and Deb Hansen last spring. Construction could begin in late fall.
About Farm Credit Services of America
Farm Credit Services of America is proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With more than $17 billion in assets, FCSAmerica is one of the region’s leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.
