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Chico State's organic dairy is busy milking cows and students' interests for all they're worth this semester.
The students who work at University Farm will showcase their knowledge Thursday at the dairy's open house, where visitors can watch a milking demonstration, walk in the pasture, see the calves eat and tour the dairy from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. They can also sample organic milk, cheese and ice cream.
The dairy is milking 35 cows and waiting for 30 others to give birth, said Cindy Daley, dairy manager and animal science professor. Each cow makes 30 to 40 pounds of milk a day - about four to five gallons.
Junior Balynda Howe said the open house is a good opportunity to learn more about agriculture and organic dairy.
As part of the dairy management team, she enjoys learning about the organic aspect of a dairy. Howe spends about four hours at the dairy four to five days a week, and she said she loves interacting with the cows.
It takes a few minutes to milk each cow and a little more than an hour to milk them all. Six cows are brought into the milking parlor and hooked up to a milking machine while they munch on organic oats, barley and corn.
The university is marketing the milk with the farmer-owned co-operative Organic Valley Farms until it can build its own creamery and use its own label, Daley said.
She said the cows provide better milk and more of it this time of year when the grass they feed on is tall and green.
"It's ideal," Daley said. "It's the way Mother Nature intended it."
University President Paul Zingg will start the dedication ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Afterward, there will be speeches by the California Secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculture A.G. Kawamura, Executive Director of Sustainable Development Scott McNall, Theresa Marquez of Organic Valley Farms and Adam Azevedo of the "Send a Cow to College" program.
A shuttle will pick up people at First and Ivy streets on the hour from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and take them to the open house.
The "Send a Cow to College" program has helped build up the dairy, Azevedo said. The owner of Azevedo Organics in Merced County, Azevedo started the program by donating one of his dairy cows to Chico State, he said.
He became inspired and asked about 45 organic California, Oregon and Washington dairies to donate one of their cows. So far, he has received pledges for 25 cows.
The dairy has helped junior Michelle James understand more about organics and has given her a good perspective to become a holistic vet. The pre-veterinary major said she thinks the cows are therapeutic, especially if people are going through a hard time.
"It's kind of Zen," she said. "It eases your mind and your emotions."
James said she spends five hours a week at the dairy and thinks the cows are one of the best parts.
"They follow you around like a dog," James said. "Scratch them on the neck and they follow you around like a puppy."
Ashley Gebb can be reached at agebb@theorion.com
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