OSU Dairy

Teacher Preparation

Learning Goal

Upon completion of this lesson visitors will be able to better understand the history of the Oklahoma State Ferguson Family Dairy.

Resources & Materials

Southwest- southland dairy farmers Milk. From Cows to Kids
Oklahoma Historical Society
OSU Timeline, A history of Oklahoma State University
History of the Oklahoma State University Division of Agriculture
Visuals in the center
Student tour guides

Lesson Delivery

Anticipatory Set

Currently we are standing in the Ferguson Family Dairy Visitor Center, which opened in October of 2020. However, Oklahoma State has long been involved with the dairy industry: from the first dairy room in The Horse Barn, constructed in 1902 to the creamery that expanded in 1904, to where we stand today.
- Today we hope to guide you through the history of dairying at Oklahoma State so that you may learn more about what has happened and changed with the Oklahoma State dairy to bring us here today.

Direct Instruction

1st Learning Goal: Upon completion of this lesson visitors will be able to better understand the history of the Oklahoma State Ferguson Family Dairy.

Content Outline
The Horse Barn constructed in 1902 contained a dairy room, located several hundred yards west of Morrill Hall, it occupied the area of present-day Willard Hall. (History of OkState Ag)
First dairy specialist was brought to campus in 1903. (History of OkState Ag)
Three Holsteins (2 cows, 1 bull) constituted the beginnings of the college dairy herd. (History of OkState Ag)
The first Dairy Building was erected just north of the Chemistry Building in 1904 at a cost of $7,900. On the first floor, the structure contained a multi-level lecture room, a small dairy processing plant, and a milking room, which was probably equipped with stanchions. (History of OkState Ag) This new building replaced the outdated facility in the Horse Barn and was approved for construction in 1904 along with a greenhouse. A wing was eventually added to expand the dairy's creamery. The facility was a popular social attraction for students, faculty, and staff in search of inexpensive dairy products, especially ice cream. (OSU Timeline)
The department of dairy husbandry established in 1907. (History of OkState Ag)
The college [did not have a large herd] of dairy cows, so the dairy plant started its operation by purchasing milk from local farmers. [Faculty] insisted that the "college had no thought of going into the creamery business but it did want to point the way and to encourage the buying of separators and the feeding of cows, promising to provide a market for the cream for a time.” (History of OkState Ag)
The Dairy Barn, a large frame building, was added in 1910 to accommodate a new herd of Jersey milk cows, which now supplied dairy products to the new boy's dormitory. Located northwest of the Horse Barn and 500 yards from the campus. Its two milking wings were each 60 by 35 feet. The ground floor of the primary barn accommodated box stalls and grain bins while the upper floor was used for a hayloft. The milking wings had concrete floors, galvanized iron stanchions, and mangers (James' Sanitary Stalls) to handle sixty-six cows. A smaller, separate milking room some 20 feet square equipped with a hot water heater, sink, shower, and office was attached to one of the wings. (History of OkState Ag)
The name of the Department of Dairy Husbandry was changed to the Department of Dairying in 1915. With the name change, animal husbandry now had complete control of the dairy cattle—thirty registered Jerseys. (History of OkState Ag)
Holstein-Friesians were added [to the herd] in 1916. That year animal husbandry added a course in dairy cattle feeding, management, and judging. (History of OkState Ag)
The Department of Dairying, which had been dairy husbandry prior to 1915, was changed to dairying and dairy husbandry in 1921, once more uniting dairy processing with dairy cattle production. (History of OkState Ag)
A large new dairy barn of steel and brick was completed on the far west side of the farm (west of campus) in 1923. (History of OkState Ag) Building of this building signaled the continued expansion of the dairy operation. (History of OkState Ag)
A seed herd of 5 Ayrshire cows was added to the jerseys and Holsteins in 1924. (History of OkState Ag)
The dairy club was chartered in 1924 with 25 members. (History of OkState Ag)
The dairy judging team had members place at the national dairy judging contest in 1924. (History of OkState Ag)
Almost from the beginning of the college dairy, a number of payne county farmers had sold their raw whole milk to the dairy plant to meet the expanding output of products. On July 1, 1925 the college entered a contract with the Payne County Milk Producers’ Cooperative to operate the college dairy plant using some student labor. (History of OkState Ag)
Due to high demand from the creamery, the college encouraged upper class students to keep milk cows on the farm. By 1925 ten students owned 2 cows each, costing as much as 250 per head and (probably) purchased from the schools registered herds. (History of OkState Ag)
Rapid expansion in dairy products manufacturing led to the construction of the new three-story dairy building (completed 9/1/1928). (History of OkState Ag) The dairy science building was constructed in 1928 and it housed the Departments of Dairy Science and Agricultural Economics until 1962. (Oklahoma Historical Society)
A dairy products judging team began in 1928. (Oklahoma Historical Society)
In 1929, the department name was changed back to dairying with the department maintaining the oversight of dairy cattle courses and milk production. (History of OkState Ag)
On the farm, a mile west of the campus, a new dairy barn was completed in December of 1948 at a cost of $250,000. Dubbed the "Dairy Palace," the facility contained stalls for eighty cows, milking parlors complete with pre-milking baths and milking machines connected directly to a cooling room, a dairy cattle judging arena, and an adjoining "maternity ward." (History of OkState Ag)
Poultry science, dairy science, and animal science joined in 1967 to form the Institute of Animal Sciences and Industry. In 1976, the name was shortened to Department of Animal Science. (History of OkState Ag)
The current parlor was built in 1987. (Oklahoma Historical Society)
October of 2020, OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Visitor Center opened.

Learning Activity

Adults should be provided with the option to take an informational handout that covers basics about the dairy, how to schedule tours, and animal science department contact information.

Closing Announcements/Reminders

Answer any questions they may have.
Thank students for coming to the Ferguson Family Dairy.