Louisiana Tech University - Department of Agricultural Sciences:.History

Tech Farm Salesroom:.History

Dairying began at Louisiana Tech in 1894, when the university was established. From a somewhat, insignificant beginning (course work with no laboratory facilities) the unit has expanded progressively through the years.

In 1915 the first dairy production facility was built to house a herd of 30 purebred Holstein cows. All milking was done by hand and students furnished the labor. The administration encouraged students to enroll at the Institute and they would be guaranteed an ample supply of fresh milk to drink. Many students paid their way through school, during the lean years, by working in the dairy unit. The processing facilities were located in Reese Hall and consisted of a vat processor, one half-pint glass filler, and wooden butter churn.

In 1956, a modern processing plant was constructed with facilities for processing fluid milk products, ice cream, cheese, and butter. It was located adjacent to the dairy production unit and milk moved from cow side to carton with a minimum of handling. Our product line has grown considerably since the new plant was built and currently includes a full line of fluid milk products; ice cream, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, butter and seasonal products such as eggnog.

photography: Tirzah Rose