The wean-to-finish facility, built by O'Connor Family Farms, will hold 2,400 hogs from about 40 pounds through 270 to 280 pounds. O'Connor will contract finish for an Austin producer.

Jim O'Connor said the open house was an educational opportunity for folks to come in and tour a facility and get their questions answered.

It was also a celebration, complete with food and refreshments.

"If a Main Street business were to build something and invest $1 million, chances are there would be an open house or ribbon cutting of some sort and the economic impact wouldn't be a tenth of what the economic impact of agriculture is," O'Connor said.

One in five jobs in Minnesota depend on the livestock sector, he said, and in the Blooming Prairie area it's closer to 60 percent. The economic impact of agriculture from around the state is tremendous, he added.

O'Connor mailed more than 1,000 invitations for the open house, including township, county and state officials on his list. Invitations went to neighbors, customers of O'Connor Sales and Service, industry representatives and supporters and opponents of the project.

Source: AgriNews