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CapitalPress.com
Friday, June 4, 2021
KNOTT DAIRY CENTER
Training ground for students
By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
For the Capital Press
PULLMAN, Wash. —
Knott Dairy Center at Wash-
ington State University serves
as a teaching and research lab-
oratory for students as well
as a working dairy typically
milking 180 cows.
The milk goes to Ferdi-
nand’s — WSU’s creamery
— to be made into Cougar
Gold cheese and other dairy
products. Students participate
in the operation of the dairy
and Ferdinand’s. Many of the
students are in the School of
Food Science and will later
work as scientists for food
manufacturers.
Ferdinand’s Ice Cream
Shoppe sells the traditional
cans of cheese along with
ready-to-eat pieces and a vari-
ety of ice cream products pre-
pared and served the same
way for more than 50 years.
Many generations of WSU
students have worked their
way through college serving
ice cream.
Amber Adams-Progar, an
extension dairy faculty mem-
ber, says the Knott Dairy
Center was started because
Washington ranks in the top
10 states for dairy produc-
tion. The dairy was originally
on campus and moved to the
W ATER M ASTER S ERIES
WSU
Milking time at the Knott Dairy Center.
Knott Dairy Center in 1962.
“We have a registered
purebred Holstein herd, but
there are very few dairies in
this area of eastern Washing-
ton. One of our challenges is
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access to feed; it is expensive
because it must be transported
long distances,” Amber said.
Celina Matuk Sarinana, the
dairy manager, says it usually
costs an additional $20-$45
per ton to have feed delivered,
depending on where it comes
from.
“We are now reaching out
to local hay growers and hope
to work with them,” she said.
“I’ve only been dairy man-
ager for 2½ years. The fi rst
year, some of our alfalfa came
from Ontario, Ore. We buy bar-
ley and grass hay locally. Our
grains come through the WSU
feed mill, which prepares pre-
mixes for our cows, working
with our dairy nutrition consul-
tant,” she said.
The
dairy
provides
hands-on learning opportuni-
ties for students.
“Several classes take place
here. Students get the chance to
work with calves, learn about
milk quality, practice milk-
ing cows, perform physical
exams on cows and learn about
reproduction, etc. It helps them
apply what they learn in the
classroom,” Celina said.
Students with advanced
training practice AI, veteri-
nary students practice phys-
ical exams and veterinary
assistance for cows, guided by
the senior veterinarian.
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Amber says the research
faculty conducts studies on
calves, heifers, dry cows and
lactating cows.
In terms of teaching, this
dairy developed the fi rst
hands-on cooperative for stu-
dents. The Cooperative Uni-
versity Dairy Students group,
— CUDS — manages and
owns a herd of about 35 cows
at the center, and members
are responsible for all aspects
of herd care. The co-op was
started 44 years ago with 6 stu-
dents from dairy backgrounds.
“They pooled some money
to start the co-op, bought about
20 cows, and started making
the management decisions for
those cows,” she said.
“Currently the CUDS
group has about 14 members
— all undergraduates — and
most of them are Animal Sci-
ence majors. The co-op owns
the animals so the members
have a vested interest.”
Responsibilities include
milking, feeding, calving,
monitoring herd statistics and
chore shifts, and each mem-
ber holds a position relating
to diff erent areas of the dairy
industry.
“This was the fi rst co-op of
its kind in the U.S. Currently
there are a couple others in the
East, but CUDS in Washing-
ton was the original,” Amber
said.
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