In 1966, a devastating tornado ripped through the town of Manhattan, causing damage across campus and largely impacting the Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Department. Serving his first year as department head, Don Good worked with producers across the state to raise funds to rebuild and due to his efforts, the Livestock and Meat Industry Council, Inc (LMIC) was formed.
The 1966 tornado destroyed the vast majority of the ASI buildings, including the beef barn, the beef teaching and research center, the swine teaching and research center, the horse center, the sheep center, the feed mill, the poultry center and the dairy centers. As the university started to rebuild, the funding for new construction started to become scarce. Good decided to reach out to industry stakeholders in the agricultural industry across the state for financial assistance to help rebuild.
“LMIC started as a group of grass-root industry people that were very supportive and passionate about making Kansas State Animal Science successful,” says Craig Good, former LMIC president and Don Good’s son. “They helped build and structure the organization to what it is today.”
Although LMIC started out as a small group of individuals, it now operates as a non-profit organization and consists of a board of directors. The mission is to support animal agriculture research, teaching and education through primary cooperation with K-State. It is dedicated to facilitating interdisciplinary education and research that improves the global competitiveness and efficiency of animal and food production. Its purpose consists of several aspects, including the promotion of developing and growing all segments of the livestock and meat industry, developing and maintaining positive industry relationships with the K-State ASI department, facilitating contributions to include money, land, livestock, equipment and other bequests in support of approval priorities of the LMIC board of directors, and providing recommendations for the allocations of LMIC funds in cooperation with the KSU College of Agriculture and the KSU Foundation.
“Along with financial contributions, the LMIC Board has other important functions such as mentoring with our KSU ASI students and service as an advisory board for the department,” says Dr. Mike Day, K-State ASI department head. “The importance of being able to meet at least three times a year to network with leaders in animal agriculture from across Kansas and beyond, that are dedicated supporters of ASI and its mission, is invaluable to this department.”
LMIC has made many significant contributions to the ASI department. During the last 10 years, it contributed more than $1.4 million. LMIC has provided a wide range of contributions, including student scholarships, research assistance, capital improvement, land, buildings and equipment to support not only students, but faculty and the industry of animal agriculture as well.
The annual K-State Animal Science Leadership Academy and judging teams are a couple of the continuing projects that LMIC supports for current and potential students. LMIC also continues to fund the annual Stockmen’s Dinner, which is hosted the night before Cattlemen’s Day. The dinner’s purpose is to honor an individual, couple or family for their significant contribution to the livestock and meat industry.
“Some key projects LMIC recently helped the department with are the Swine Unit renovations and purchase of cattle working equipment that allows collection of research data on properties that lack adequate facilities,” Day explains. “Because of LMIC and its contributors, we are able to keep our units, equipment and facilities up to date and provide our students with real-life livestock management opportunities.”
On top of donating funds for new equipment, buildings and renovations, LMIC has contributed to department projects such as building student housing at the livestock units, renovations at the dairy plant and funding the class that helps plan and execute the annual K-State ASI Family & Friends Reunion.
“LMIC is more than just finances. It’s a direct link between the department and keeping them connected with the ag industry in Kansas,” Good says. “It’s a group of people who want the ASI department at Kansas State University to be at the top of the heap in terms of all of the other animal science departments in the nation, and our goal is to help them become that.”