In December 1995, the Walnut Grove Research Farm near Atlantic was donated by Cargill, Inc., to the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development, a grassroots organization in southwestern Iowa interested in agriculture. The Wallace Foundation and Iowa State University (ISU) agreed to develop the farm for swine research and demonstration activities. The farm was named the Southwest Swine Research and Demonstration Farm. The donation included 70 acres of land, several livestock buildings, three silos, a residence, farm equipment, and the swine breeding stock. The existing swine breeding herd was sold. The farm is operated in conjunction with the Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm, which is about 7 miles west. On September 17, 1998, the farm was renamed the Lauren Christian Swine Research and Demonstration Farm in honor of Lauren L. Christian, a distinguished professor in the ISU Animal Science Department. Christian is a wellknown swine geneticist who has helped many Iowa pork producers for over 30 years