When you think of a therapy animal, what do you see? Maybe it’s something small and furry, like a cat or a dog. Or, for East Lansing residents, maybe it’s a cow.
On March 24, the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center held a de-stress, cow-petting event for the community.
At the event, attendees got up close and personal with the animals and learned a little more about the farm.
The farm is home to over 200 cows and calves, providing both dairy production and a hands-on learning experience.
“The Michigan State University dairy herd is maintained for teaching, extension, and research purposes,” South Campus Animal Farms shared in its mission statement. “Research projects are conducted in the areas of nutrition, mammary and reproductive physiology, animal breeding and selection, and dairy management.”
For those students interested in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, the facility hires students to work on the farm.
“We have a lot of student employees … So, every day the cows need to be fed … milked … checked for any veterinary care. All of their maintenance needs to be taken care of, [and] their feed needs to be mixed,” said Julie Moore, the Instructional Laboratory Coordinator in the Department of Animal Science.
Given the farm’s research background, the facility also caters to all education levels.
The farm is located at 4075 N College Road and is open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
You can visit their website for more information about the farm and cows. To stay updated on upcoming events, follow their Instagram @msudairyfarm.