The Agriculture Education Center, or as many call it, the AU farm, is run by animal science students who are required to work a specific number of hours on the farm for their major. Katherine Koudele, the professor of animal science, oversees the work done on the farm. She shared, “Every semester the students are assigned to a different species team–how many rabbits, how many chickens, how many sheep–and then they work among themselves to figure out a weekly schedule to take care of the animals.” The students work two hours a week caring for their specific animal they were assigned to.
The AU farm has been around since the 1960s and has had many changes over the years, according to Koudele. She shared that the campus bought what was then the Garland Farm after Battle Creek College moved to Berrien Springs and was renamed Emmanuel Missionary College. A commercial dairy farm was started, and the farm had about 250 milking cows. After a heavy snowstorm in the late 1990s that made one of the barns partially cave in, the farm expanded its facilities and herd, raising the number of cows to around 750. From 2000 to 2018, the dairy industry changed a lot because of the government’s requirements on how you could sell milk and because the price of milk was too low for the cost of production. By the end of 2018, the dairy farm shut down.
However, AU didn’t want to give up on the farm and decided to convert the dairy farm into an education center for agriculture. Over the years, they have acquired cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and miniature pigs.
When asked what a day on the AU farm looked like this time of year, Koudele said, “This time of year, the sheep are fed hay in the morning and then they're brought into the barn at night, The chickens are let out in the morning and locked up at night because of raccoons and everything else that wants to eat a chicken. The rabbits have quite spacious pens for pet rabbits, so they stay in those pens, but they're protected with and bolted with wire all the way around, so nothing can climb in, and they're fed and watered and cleaned every day. The cattle are fed hay and grain, and in the fall, we have the bottle calves that get milk. The pigs get their feed and also some alfalfa hay, and they get their pens cleaned and fresh water twice a day as well.”
Koudele explained that every fall, the sophomores raise a bottle calf. Koudele is very fond of the cows because she remembers feeding the baby calves when she used to work on the farm as a college student. Brooklyn Anderson (senior, animal science) also enjoyed taking care of her bottle calf. “His name was Buckley, and I loved him so much.”
Anderson has been working on the farm for three years and has enjoyed every bit of it. Right now, she is in charge of the cattle. “We have some that just had a baby, some that could be pregnant right now, and we have some that are maybe about six months now, so we have various ages right now,” she shared.
Some of Anderson’s favorite memories have been made on the farm. “I really enjoy being able to walk to the farm,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll bring a book and just hang out with the animals.” Anderson also remembers a time during her freshman year when she had an eventful time taking care of the chickens late at night. “I forgot to take care of the chickens one day,” Anderson explained. “I went late, and it was very dark, and I was a freshman, so I didn't know where the farm lights were on. I had to use my phone flashlight, and I ended up breaking all the eggs, and it was just a huge mess, and then one of the chickens flew on the cage, so I couldn't put him back inside, and so I remember being super stressed out about that. Looking at it now though, it's so funny.”
There are so many ways the campus can get involved with the AU farm. Visitors are welcome to walk down to the farm and see the animals. Koudele shared that she does tours with the fourth-grade class at Ruth Murdoch Elementary School. She has also done collaborations with the Countryside Academy, which has an agriculture program, hoping to connect with the community more. The AU Pre-Vet club sometimes has little petting farms that students can enjoy. Some of the animals will even be participating in the Easter passion play that is happening in April.
Both Anderson and Koudele encourage students to check out the AU farm. “I feel like most people don't know that we have a farm on campus, or they're like, ‘oh, we have a farm,’ but they don't know where it is.” Anderson shared.
The AU Farm is located on Dairy Rd., which is the road right alongside Smith Hall, where the agriculture and animal science majors meet. “It's a pretty obvious protrusion. It's just down a huge road.” Anderson said.
Spring is right around the corner, and it will be the perfect time to visit the animals on the farm. Anderson said, “I recommend that people definitely go in the springtime, because that's when the goats and the sheep will be giving birth, and so there's going to be babies everywhere, and it's going to be beautiful.”
If you want to learn more about the AU farm, visit the Department of Sustainable Agriculture located in Smith Hall for more information. You can also try and get involved with the Pre-Vet club co-curricular activities and petting zoos, as well as see what animals are featured in the Easter passion play happening at the Pioneer Memorial Church (PMC) on April 4.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.