Iowa State University had its eye on building its own feed mill.
It would be a working operation, a chance to advance research on how to process corn grown across the state into animal feed. It would also double as a teaching center both for students on campus and for pros in the industry.
But first, the school needed upward of $20 million. University officials could have asked the state legislature for the money. But they knew they would be chasing funds that have decreased over the years and they’d fall in a long line of competitors.
So the university turned to the companies most likely to benefit from what that mill could offer.
That’s how the school ended up with the Kent Corporation Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex under construction now. Paid for without a dime from taxpayers.