Cathann Kress, dean of CFAES, speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Multi-species Animal Learning Complex Thursday morning. Courtesy of: Brooke LaValley, Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
About 2,200 animals will live at Ohio State’s new Multi-species Animal Learning Complex, also known as MALC, which officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
Hosted by the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, or CFAES, the event welcomed more than 250 guests, including members of Ohio’s agriculture industry and state legislative leaders who supported the project. Attendees toured the facility and heard remarks from several project partners about the facility’s impact.
Cathann Kress, dean of CFAES, recognized the donors and supporters who helped make the complex possible and emphasized the college’s broader mission. Kress said that CFAES’ purpose is simple, “we sustain life,” which begins with educating students of all ages around the state of Ohio.
“Education will be the center of this facility with an opportunity for people who know very little about the food system to have a chance to learn more,” Kress said.
The MALC is a chance for students to gain hands-on learning experiences with swine, equine, poultry and ruminants, which refer to cattle and sheep, under one roof. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to experience modern livestock production and animal handling practices.
“Our hope is to get as many people as possible coming and learning about Ohio agriculture by just driving a little ways away and coming here to Columbus to see this,” Kress said.
Other speakers echoed their enthusiasm for the opening and what this holds for the future of agriculture.
“The investment here is about preparing for our future in animal ag[riculture] so it thrives for many generations to come as we think about recruiting and retaining the next generation,” said Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The MALC, including a new dairy area, is a 100,000 square-foot facility within the 261-acres of Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, according to its construction website. Design work began in 2023, and construction started Jan. 30, 2024.
