Northwest Missouri State University's slogan is "career ready day one," and they are taking that to a whole new level with the addition of a micro-creamery.
The Board of Regents at the University met this past Thursday to approve their 2023-24 school year budget. Within their nearly $110 million budget, they have approved for up to $3 million of that to go towards a micro-creamery. The creamery is set to be constructed within their Northwest Agricultural Learning Center.
This proposal has been made in response to the hit that the Missouri dairy industry has taken in recent years. Commodity prices, labor gaps, unskilled workers, and dwindling dairy herds are some of the biggest issues impacting the dairy industry right now. Northwest is aiming to address these concerns by better preparing the next generation of students interested in this sector of agriculture. This project is an expansion on it's already established dairy operation.
Located just a few minutes from the main campus, the R.T. Wright Farm has an already establish dairy herd that consists of approximately 70-80 Jersey, Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cattle. The cows are milked twice daily, usually by student workers. This operation at the R.T Wright Farm provides students with first-hand knowledge of dairy health, management and collection.
However, once the milk is collected and sent off, that is where the hands-on learning ends. To remedy that gap, this new micro-creamery will provide further knowledge on the entire lifecycle of dairy production. Students will be able to learn about herd management, the collection process, safety testing, and food production.
Source: kmzu.com
Photo Credit: GettyImages-vm
Categories: Missouri, Livestock, Dairy Cattle