Dairy Education Center and Creamery

Providing focused agricultural educational through seeing, tasting and doing.

For decades, NC State’s dairy processing plant, the Feldmeier Dairy Processing Lab, has been primarily known for their delicious ice cream, a State Fair favorite.  The most recent renovations in 2005 added the ability to provide cutting-edge food science innovations and research on popular locavore foods such as farmstead cheeses.

100% — yes, ALL — of the plants current operating costs are generated by revenues from the sale of dairy products, research grants, and fees from educational seminars. The addition of a full-service Creamery Café and Dairy Education Center at our farm will help increase our ability to both educate and enhance teaching and outreach capabilities.

A true destination learning center, visitors to the Lake Wheeler farm Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery, can enjoy an ice cream sundae while watching video feeds of the plant in operation, or discovering the many facets of North Carolina’s dairy industry on interactive video exhibits.  State-of-the-art Distance Learning technology will bring expanded dairy support to participants nationwide.

Please follow the link to our giving page!

Ways to Participate

  • Make a cash gift payable over a 1–3 year period
  • Donate specific equipment or materials to help up-fit facilities
  • Donate land or other real property*
  • Establish your own named legacy

* This type of donation may result in significant tax benefits and/or income for retirement or for your heirs. Please consult your tax advisor.

For questions on how to make a gift in support of the Dairy Education Center or Farm
Please contact NC Agricultural Foundation

Phone: 919-515-2000 Email: cals_foundation@ncsu.edu