Mooooove 'em Out!

University Dairy swaps Holsteins for Highlands

Andrews University is the only Adventist institution of higher learning that still maintains an agriculture program. It’s not all farming the fields, either; the University operates a 700-head dairy, which contributes significantly each year to the school’s income.

These dairy cows, however, a majority of which are Holstein cows, will soon be leaving the University campus for good. In an unprecedented move, the University Dairy will be replacing all of its current herd with Highland cattle.

“Not only are Highland cattle more British,” says Katherine Koudele, chair of the Department of Agriculture, “but they’re also cuter than regular American cows.”

Highland cattle are characterised by their long, shaggy coats and long, slightly curved horns. They come in a variety of colors and the cows can weigh up to 500 kilograms (bulls can grow to 800 kilograms). Another compatible characteristic of Highland cattle is their resistance to cold.

“Highland cattle are built for harsh winters such as the ones we sometimes experience here in Southwest Michigan,” Koudele explains. “We might even be able to sell trimmings of their coats to our Floridian students who aren’t quite prepared for the snowy cold we get most winters.”

The new herd is expected to bring in additional income above what the previous herd did, as milk is sold according to how much butterfat it contains, and the milk of Highland cattle is known to have a high butterfat content.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before,” says Larry Schalk, vice president for Financial Administration. “I guess it just took having a Brit in charge of things around here to set everything going the right direction.”

The new herd will be replaced in segments, with the entire 700-head expected to be made up of Highland cattle by the end of 2017.