With over 1,700 acres of farmland, North Carolina State University remains one of the top schools in Agriculture and Life Sciences. One of its farms is particularly well-known among locals for providing an authentic spot to indulge in the university’s famous Howling Cow ice cream: the N.C. State Dairy Farm. The farm is a part of the Dairy Enterprise System, a farm-to-table structured organization that also includes the Dairy Education Center and Creamery, the Feldmeier Dairy Processing Lab and the Randleigh Dairy Heritage Museum. It is in the perfect location because North Carolina is a state that excels in dairy production. The state is home to 120 dairy farms and about 38,000 dairy cows that produce an average of 8.9 gallons of milk per day. In 2023, the total amount of milk produced equaled 107 million gallons.
The farm’s mission is to provide educational opportunities for students by exemplifying gold-standard animal welfare and food safety practices while also supporting industry goals, agritourism outreach, extension activities and research projects. Leading operations include management practices to promote cow comfort, milk quality, animal health, reproductive success, progressive genetics, superior nutrition, breed preservation and safe animal handling — all of which contribute to the creation of a first-rate learning environment that fosters animal wellbeing.
A facility as intricate as the N.C. State Dairy Farm needs all the help it can get. In addition to six full-time employees, the dairy has 20 N.C. State student hires, led by herd manager Devan Pendry, farm manager Will Leatherwood and assistant manager Margaret Ann Peterson, who contribute immensely to bringing its operations to fruition.
Student employees Olivia Mabe, Vanessa Bigford and Carolina Vande Berg give the inside scoop on what it’s like working on the farm. The three of them have discovered a shared passion for farm life and careers in animal agriculture, despite coming from different backgrounds and levels of experience within the agriculture community.
Olivia Mabe is a senior from Lexington majoring in animal science with a concentration in veterinary bioscience. She became involved in agriculture as a member and officer of her high school’s FFA program. At N.C. State, Mabe is a member of the Animal Science Club and has been a captain of the farm’s Dairy Show team since her sophomore year. She has worked at the dairy for two years and hopes to attend veterinary school after graduation to become a livestock veterinarian.
“If I could work with only dairy cattle for the rest of my life, that would be the dream,” said Mabe.
Vanessa Bigford is a junior from Richlands majoring in animal science with a concentration in industry. She is also a member of the Animal Science Club and Dairy Show team. Bigford’s family owned horses and miniature horses while she was growing up, so she’s always loved large animals. She is in her sixth month of working at the dairy and feels like she’s found her true calling — a career as a herd manager or ranch handler.
“I admire what Devan does on a daily basis and how she handles the animals,” said Bigford. “She helped me realize that veterinary school might not be where I want to end up and that I would rather be around a farm and its employees.”
Pendry received the Premier Breeder award for the Open Holstein show at the 2023 N.C. State Fair.
“We have great animals here,” said Mabe. “Winning this award for Holstein cattle is an incredible honor, especially because it’s the most popular dairy breed. We’re all very proud of her!”
Caroline Vande Berg is a second-year master’s student from Raleigh. Her exposure to agriculture began when she worked at a summer camp as a horseback riding instructor and small animal barn manager. Vande Berg also owns a horse named Valero, like the gas station. She is studying animal science with a concentration in ruminant nutrition, recently finishing an in vitro fermentation project and defending her thesis.
“I tested sunflower meal as a protein source in dairy cattle diets as opposed to the current industry standard, soybean meal,” said Vande Berg.
With this experience, she sees herself becoming an animal nutrition consultant in the long run. Vande Berg, a loyal employee since January 2020, has worked at the dairy the longest of the three. She is currently training with Pendry to be a weekend supervisor. Mabe and Bigford have deemed her the “elite employee.”
“None of us have specific titles; however, we’ve had a calf specialist in the past — a temporary employee who calf feeds five days a week and does the extra chores,” said Vande Berg. “I’m trained as a calf specialist, but I also do a little bit of everything and have trained dozens of employees.”
Both Mabe and Bigford also have leadership experience training new student hires. This is a status level that most student employees can achieve once they’ve proved their skills at the dairy.
Most people initially hear about the student employee program through connections or other involvements.
“We have a waiting list of interested hires who will have to undergo an interview process,” said Mabe. “They usually come from volunteer programs or hear about the dairy in similar ways to the three of us.”
Bigford applied after some of her show captains spoke highly of their experience as student employees. Mabe was told about it by a roommate and Vande Berg toured the farm for her nutrition lab as an undergraduate, getting to see the tasks first-hand and talk with supervisors.
“Hiring depends a lot on availability too,” said Vande Berg. “If you apply and can work the shifts we need to fill, you’re more likely to get bumped up the list.”
During the school year, the standard for student employees is to work two shifts a week and every other weekend. The dairy typically operates with fewer student workers over the summer because many have moved back home or are participating in other activities; however, that provides a great opportunity for local students with flexible schedules to get more hours on the farm.
Mabe, Bigford and Vande Berg take advantage of living close, working almost daily during the summer. Although balancing the workload over the school year with their classes and other involvements can be difficult, they pride themselves on their ability to get the job done despite busy schedules. Additionally, the student employees and supervisors have tight-knit relationships and are always willing to support one another in times of need.
“It’s made very clear that this is a student program and a learning opportunity, so perfection is not expected,” said Bigford. “We also have a work group chat, so if we ever need coverage on the fly, we can text in there and usually someone is always willing to pick up a shift.”
Student employees at the dairy have the opportunity to train for three different positions: Calf Feeder, Milker and Pusher.
Calf feeding shifts start at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. and involve caring for calves six months of age and younger. Additionally, these students monitor the pregnant cows and heifers in the calving lot to see if they are in labor.
The farm’s cows are milked twice a day. Milking shifts start at 6:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. and involve setting up the parlor and bulk tank room, milking the cows, sanitizing both rooms and starting the wash cycles after milking.
There are three main lactating groups of cows in the freestall barn: first lactation/fresh group, high group and Jersey group. First lactation/fresh group consists of cows who have had calves for the first time, smaller-statured specialty breeds and fresh, mature cows. High group cows are mature Holsteins and Brown Swiss that generally produce the greatest volume of milk. The Jersey group houses all lactating Jerseys.
Also housed in the freestall barn are the dry cow groups who enjoy 24/7 access to the pasture. Additionally, there is a designated hospital pen for the cows in need of extra care and monitoring, as well as fresh cows a few days post-calving. Colostrum is collected from fresh cows, tested for quality, pasteurized, then frozen and stored to be fed to newborn calves. The milk from cows in the hospital pen does not enter the food supply.
The dairy has a double 10 parallel parlor. The cows are prepared for milking five at a time, which involves hand milking each quarter and applying a pre-dip solution to sanitize their teats. They are then wiped off with separate paper towels to protect individual udder health. Next, the milking unit is attached and will automatically be removed once the milk meter senses that the cow is done milking. Lastly, an iodine-based post-dip solution is applied. It contains skin conditioners that promote teat health and protect their teats from pathogens until they naturally reseal, which occurs approximately 30 to 45 minutes after being milked.
Pushing shifts start at 6:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. They involve bringing the cows to and from the parlor, scraping the pen lanes, flushing water tanks, grooming sand stalls, removing feed refusals in preparation for fresh feed delivery, turning cows out to pasture and completing other cow-housing hygiene tasks while the cows are milked in the parlor.
“Our claim to fame is that we are the only school in the entire country with all six of the most popular dairy breeds,” said Mabe.
Those breeds are Holsteins (both red and white and black and white), Jerseys, Guernseys, Ayrshires, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorns. There are 160 cows and 140 heifers on the farm.
There are indeed differences between each dairy breed’s milk. Holsteins are known for producing the greatest volume of milk, making them the most popular dairy breed.
“People use Guernseys for their unique milk component production,” said Vande Berg.
Guernsey cows produce high levels of butterfat and beta-carotene within their milk. Beta-carotene contributes to the distinctly golden color of Guernsey milk, earning the breed its nickname of “Golden Guernseys.” The Guernsey breed also has a high prevalence of A2/A2 protein production, meaning people with milk protein sensitivity may find their milk easier to digest.
Jerseys are another predominantly A2/A2 protein production breed. They also have higher butterfat content in their milk, making it a top pick for ice cream.
“The best ice cream I’ve ever had was from an all-Jersey farm,” said Mabe.
One of the best parts of being a student employee at the dairy is getting to head over to the Howling Cow Creamery after a shift and enjoy 50% off any treat of your choosing.
Mabe, Bigford and Vande Berg adore working at the dairy. They are grateful for the unique hands-on learning opportunity it provides.
“Being a student employee has prepared me for a future in the livestock industry more than reading job descriptions online,” said Bigford. “It’s important to me that I pursue a career I genuinely enjoy and working in-person at the dairy led me right to it!”
Mabe, Bigford and Vande Berg highly recommend the student employee program to any N.C. State students interested in gaining more real-world farm and livestock experience. It is a welcoming community of peers that quickly become friends, and everyone on the farm develops cherished connections with the cows. Although the work can get tough and some shifts start early, the student employees know how to make it a good time at the N.C. State Dairy Farm.