New OSU Dairy Foods Facility Open
“This is for all of us who appreciate good food. Cheese is the perfect accompaniment with wine, micro brew, berries, and artisan bread. Local cheeses exemplify the concept of Oregon terroir: from grazing cows to shady Douglas firs. It is a product of choice for consumers who demand to know where and how their food is produced.”
After 30 years of hibernation, the OSU dairy plant has been completely remodeled and is once again a fully licensed dairy facility. With state-of-the art cheese making equipment imported from Europe it is possible to produce most types of specialty cheeses in the facility. One reason for applying for the license was to serve as incubator for starting cheese companies. Cheese makers can make and sell cheeses produced at OSU while constructing their own facilities. This lowers the entrance barriers for start-ups. Currently, “Cheese Louise” is producing ricotta and mascarpone cheeses which are sold for food service use.
Scaling up of the equipment is required to handle larger production batches. A new 240 gal cheese vat has just been ordered from Holland. New cheese caves are currently being built and a new cheese press was just installed. Funding for covering start-up costs will come from dairy industry companies and private donors.
The dairy plant hosts several extension classes each year. Besides receiving training in cheese making, dairy sector employees are trained in safe processing procedures, GMPs, SSOP, and HACCP. Cheese making classes are also popular among OSU students. In the past the classes were open to all students but are now restricted to food science and dairy option students only due to the large enrollment growth in these programs.
By Homecoming 2011, an OSU cheese “Beaver Products” label will be released. Based on OSU’s strengths in food science and innovation. Beaver Products cheeses will be developed, produced, marketed and sold by OSU students using milk from the OSU dairy farm. The practical hands-on experience will provide great training for students, and provide paying jobs for students right on campus.
In November, the Paul
and Sandy Arbuthnot
Professorship was established which supports the Arbuthnot Dairy Center. The Arbuthnot Dairy Center is both a physical location on campus and an outreach program. The center consists of the dairy pilot plant with connecting laboratory and classroom. The classroom and laboratory are currently undergoing renovation to better fulfill industry standards.
The outreach program will focus on promoting development of safe and innovative dairy products in Oregon. Special attention will be given to helping dairy farmers adding value to their milk by converting to farmstead dairy operations. Each year an international cheese maker will be invited to be cheese maker in residence at OSU. The first cheese maker is expected to be from Italy. The cheese maker will work with Oregon’s artisan cheese makers through classes at OSU and on-site visits. The endowment will also support student internships with dairy companies. This endowment will support OSU’s dairy foods programs in perpetuity and will have a great impact. The first recipient of the professorship, Dr. Lisbeth Goddik, extends a sincere thank you to the donors, a couple who believes in the importance of safe and nutritious dairy products, sustainable rural communities, family farming, and local food.
