The Dairy at Cal Poly has advanced a great deal over the years. This advancement has taken the form of a new location and a great deal of new technology that has improved the Dairy’s ability to function as a commercial facility. Although we have already seen much change we are likely to view even more in the future.

The Origins of the Dairy
The first land set aside for the dairy was Cheda Ranch. Cheda Ranch is a 495.5 acre land mass which extends northward along Stenner Creek to the steel railway bridge. This land was initially under the control of the missions, but in 1872, was purchased by John A. Cheda. After Mr.Cheda’s original purchase of the land, he continued to extend his holdings and eventually acquired 466 acres, which include water rights to the local creek. Mr. Cheda used the land to operate a small dairy that held forty cows. These cows received their nutrition by grazing in the foothills. The remaining land was used to grow and cultivate hay and beans.

In 1951 the land was obtained by Cal Poly. This addition was acquired to provide a structure for dairy student projects. This facility was used by the Dairy Science Department until a new facility was built in 1992. The new Dairy Unit is located on Mt. Bishop Road Past the crops unit and veterinary hospital, and was built on the beautiful foothills of Bishop’s Peak. The cost of this state of the art facility was $4.5 million and it holds over two hundred dairy cows, well over four times the capacity of Cheda Ranch.

Modern Technology
The new dairy facility is very modern and provides a wonderful learning environment for agriculture students to practice Cal Poly’s motto of “learn by doing.” The new structure contains classrooms, a computer room, a nutrition and physiology laboratory, and a microbiology laboratory. The facility also holds a milking parlor and several barns.

The Dairy was completed in 1996 with the addition of the Dairy Product Teaching and Research building at the cost of $7.5 million. In this compound, students and researchers study physical and chemical properties of the specimens collected at the dairy and develop new products. The Creamery is also located in this facility. Here students learn the technology behind creating dairy products such as cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and dry milk. Some of the products created here are sold on Cal Poly’s campus, and at local farmers’ markets throughout the county.

Looking to the Future
This facility was created to accommodate the growing college of Dairy Science. Because of generous donations from foundations, like the Oreggia Fund, the Dairy Unit continues to expand and stay technologically advanced. The history of the dairy unit is one that shows progressive growth and advancement. The future is bright for the Dairy at Cal Poly, and in the future I am sure we will be privy to even more advancement and growth.

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