Michigan State University welcomed more than 200 friends and stakeholders from the state’s dairy industry to officially dedicate the new MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center on Thursday, Oct. 8.
This state-of-the-art 165,000-square-foot facility opened last summer and serves as a central research hub for Michigan’s $15-billion dairy industry. MSU’s 640 dairy cattle moved into their new home more than a year ago when new operations commenced, but the ribbon-cutting marked an opportunity for the community to see the farm fully operational.
“We’re here to celebrate what can happen when a land-grant university, our state, our agricultural community, industry partners and generous donors come together around a shared vision,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
“Agriculture has been a part of Michigan State’s story from the very beginning. This new facility is a great expression of what a land-grant university is supposed to do. It will advance practical knowledge, educate our next generation of dairy professionals, and it will work alongside the communities and industries it serves.”
MSU Board of Trustees Chairperson Brianna T. Scott recognized the growing demand for milk in Michigan and the importance of supporting Michigan’s numerous farming communities in meeting those demands.
“With this facility and our programs, Michigan State once again is rising to the occasion to support our rural communities and a vital segment of Michigan’s agricultural industry,” Scott said. “It was four years ago that the Board of Trustees initially authorized planning for this project. We understood that expansion and modernization in our facilities was an investment in the future – to answer the evolving needs of our students, faculty and industry partners.”
The farm will serve faculty and students from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, or CANR, the College of Veterinary Medicine, or CVM, and MSU AgBioResearch. Upgrades at the new Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center will allow for increased research output and applicability, training the next generation of industry leaders and addressing the needs of Michigan’s dairy producers.
“This facility is going to sit at the center of a renewed constellation of shared excellence here at MSU,” said Matt Daum, Ph.D., associate provost and dean of CANR.
“Dairy starts with a cow – but it doesn’t end with the cow. Our work in cattle nutrition will support Michigan soybeans. We’ll uplift food science through sensory product testing. We’ll advance human nutrition through optimizing dairy inputs. Sustainable energy will be produced through biosystems engineering. All those pieces come together in a living laboratory for circular dairy practices.”
Michigan is home to more than 850 dairy farms and approximately 436,000 dairy cows. Michigan’s dairy industry contributes $15.7 billion to the state’s economy, and the state leads the nation in production efficiency – ranking No. 1 nationally in milk-per-cow production.
The $75-million dairy farm project was supported by an initial award of $30 million from the state of Michigan. Continued private support from alumni, donors and stakeholders in the dairy industry has supported the effort and remains essential to fully realize the farm’s long-term vision for programming and research.
Doug Chapin serves as chairman of the Michigan Milk Producers Association Board of Directors. Chapin and his MMPA partners represented a leading voice in advocating for State of Michigan funding for the new dairy. Chapin represented Michigan’s dairy farm families and recognized the “generations of farmers who have partnered with MSU to make Michigan dairy farming the most efficient in the country.”
Students learning dairy operations at MSU will now have experience with modern technology and the workings of a 21st Century dairy that is home to more than 550 milking cows producing nearly 90 pounds of milk per cow each day. This experience will allow MSU graduates to step onto any dairy farm in the world with the most relevant skills and experience.
“This dairy provides something we cannot replicate in the classroom: hands-on experience with dairy cattle in a real production environment, one that lets them develop clinical skills, build confidence working with herds, and learn about the day-to-day realities facing dairy producers,” said Kim Dodd, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Lynn Olthof recently defended her graduate research dissertation on dairy farm management and economics, earning her fourth MSU degree since coming to East Lansing in 2017. Olthof began her career at MSU planning to complete the two-year Institute of Agricultural Technology Dairy Management Program and then return home to her family farm in west Michigan.
“My mindset was simple; how quickly can I get a degree and get back to the family farm? But with every class I took, every farm I toured and every person I met, my eyes were opened to just how much there was to learn,” said Olthof, who also assists the MSU Dairy Judging teams and teaches.
“This dairy is already changing the way we educate, train and recruit students. It represents an investment in the students who will walk through these doors long after my time at MSU is complete.”
Learn more about the work at the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center and find out how you can get involved by visiting the website.
