OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Improvements Lead to Student Opportunities

I wrote this piece as a part of my job at the OSU Animal Science Alumni Association for our official publication, The Brand Magazine.

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OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Improvements Lead to Student Opportunities

Driving west on McElroy Road from the campus of Oklahoma State University, as you

cross the intersection at Western Road, the OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Center is a familiar sight on the hillside. As you pull down the gravel driveway, a historic brick barn can be seen ahead with the newest facility improvements of a freestall barn and visitor’s center on the left.

Recent improvements made at the dairy include the new Helms Hall student housing,

freestall barn, visitor’s center, and DeLaval Robotic Milking system, said Leanne Van der Laan, a 2018 OSU animal science graduate and current dairy herd manager.

“With the new freestall barn, the milk robot, and student housing, it has allowed us to

continue to push forward and be a more progressive dairy,” Van der Laan said.

Before facility improvements, students lived in the loft of the old brick barn, including

Van der Laan when she worked as a student during her undergrad. Now, Helms Hall includes six student rooms, restrooms, kitchen space, and living room, Van der Laan said.

“The students have a feeling of being home and making this something not just a job

anymore. It is something they are 100% a part of,” Van der Laan said. “I think it gives them a

sense of pride and willingness to be a part of the dairy itself.”

Students living at the dairy have the responsibility of checking on cows in the night

during calving season and have more opportunities to learn since they are less than two minutes away, Van der Laan said.

“Living in Helms Hall, you gain more experiences, you are not just here to work,” said

Lilee Brinlee, zoology sophomore from Adair, Oklahoma and student worker at the dairy. “I am not just here for my eight to five shift. I am here for the nine p.m., late night breakdowns with the robot [and other emergencies]. Us, who live in the house, we’re on call 24/7. We get the opportunity to learn not only the basic chores, but we are also involved in all the different aspects of operating the farm.”

In addition to having the privilege of living at the dairy, students have the ability to learn

about new technology in the dairy industry with the DeLaval Robotic Milking system.

Currently, 55 cows use the robotic milker and 53 still use the conventional parlor which

exposes students to two types of milking styles, Van der Laan said.

“Being able to learn and see the new technology available for the industry, it is

imperative for those students wanting to continue in the dairy industry,” Van der Laan said.

Having the milking robot at the dairy gives students a unique way to learn about

technology in the dairy industry, said Brett Chapman, agricultural leadership junior from Perkins, Oklahoma and student worker at the dairy.

“No one has a robot like ours in Oklahoma,” Chapman said. “To have one and be able to work with it, those are critical hands-on skills we are gaining.”

While students have the ability to learn hands-on with the robot and living at the dairy,

the public also has the opportunity to learn at the dairy through the visitor’s center, Van der Laan said.

In just the three short months Van der Laan has managed the dairy, she said over

twenty-five groups have come to tour the unit. Groups have ranged from 4-H and FFA students to students studying to be dietitians at the University of Central Oklahoma, Van der Laan added.

“They were a group of dieticians who wanted to be able to support the dairy industry and share the nutritional benefits with their clients,” Van der Laan said.

By coming to the dairy center, Van der Laan said the public can observe first-hand how

dairies properly handle and care for their cattle while providing a high quality product with no antibiotics in the milk.

“It has been really helpful with FFA students who come out and want to be a part of OSU but might not have full awareness they want to be a part of the dairy industry until they see how great our facility is and all of the improvements made,” Van der Laan said.

With the new improvements, faculty and students recognize the important role donors

have played in making the dairy what it is today.

“Support from OSU alumni and donors allows us to keep pushing the dairy industry

forward in Oklahoma and being able to help out even other dairy farmers,” Van der Laan said.

“We can be an asset to them, whether it's making the decision to get a robot or being able to help them if they are having issues with the[ir] robot.”

For Chapman, he said not only has donors given him tremendous opportunities to gain

skills and knowledge, but the housing gave him the ability to come to OSU to earn a degree.

“A big thank you,” Brinlee said. “Being able to get hands-on experiences instead of just the conventional parlor but also seeing new technology. We get to see change in agriculture happening one-on-one. I would not be out here if it was not for [donors].”

Donors make it possible for students to have access to new technologies and experiences, but Van der Laan truly gives students the opportunity to learn through her ability to teach, paired with her optimistic attitude, Chapman said.

Leanne Van der Laan may be known as the dairy herd manager, but to her students, she is known as “the Beast,” said Brinlee.

“We have a note in [the office] that says ‘the Beast,’” Brinlee said. “Leanne came from a farm where she managed the whole dairy by herself. Now, being able to work one-on-one with Leanne, she is absolutely amazing and the strongest, most independent manager.

Van der Laan milked 150 cows by herself after graduating from OSU and said she would still be milking her own even if she had not taken this job in May 2021.

“It's been a journey, but I am glad to be back,” Van der Laan said. “I've missed it. I love

working with the students and I like being back here at OSU.”

Van der Laan says her favorite part about her job as the herd manager is working with

cows and she plans for it to stay this way.

“I plan on being here for a while,” Leanne said. “I do not want to go anywhere anytime

soon.”

If OSU students are interested in working at the dairy, Chapman said to take the chance and start.

“You do not have to know everything [to work here],” Chapman said. “As long as you

are willing to listen, you can come in here and learn a lot really, really quick.”

Not only is it a way to gain industry knowledge, but working at the dairy also gives

students a way to build connections with faculty and peers, Brinlee said.

“Working at the dairy is one of the most fun and challenging experiences,” Brinlee said. “You learn so much and have such a fun time doing it. You're building those connections and making lifelong friends you will have even after you graduate.”

To learn more about the OSU Ferguson Family Dairy Center or to contribute to the

endowment, please visit our website here.

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