ASU broiler project gets $80,000 boost

Peco Foods has donated $80,000 to the Arkansas State University College of Agriculture to remodel a barn and transform the existing structure into a modern broiler house, the university said Wednesday in a news release.

The transformation of the existing barn at Arkansas State University’s farms was set to begin this week. The current barn is a “wide open structure with a tin roof and no technology.”

Mickey Latour, dean of the College of Agriculture, said in a release the new facility will have fans, cooling pads and heating units “that are regulated through technology to optimize bird health and growth.”

The modern facility will include technology that allows watering automatically for the broilers, the news release said.

It is also expected to increase training and research opportunities for students as well as offer hands-on learning opportunities.

“As active members of the communities where we live, work and conduct business, we are honored to support Arkansas State University’s new broiler project,” Duane Weems, Pocahontas live operations manager for Peco Foods, said in the release.

The updated facility is expected to be completed in two to three months, according to the release.