Even in today’s volatile dairy market, Ferdinand’s ice cream and Cougar Gold cheese are safe, and prices aren’t changing anytime soon. “We have a niche market in Cougar Gold cheese,” said John Swain, manager of WSU’s Knott Dairy. This means that while milk prices are dropping throughout the country and other dairies are forced out of business, the Knott Dairy is protected from some of the fluctuations. The Knott Dairy exists for three essential reasons: the education of students, research by faculty and the production of milk. It is a tripod of support, and the dairy needs all three legs to stand on, Swain said. “We are here to support the research and students,” he said.

With a predominantly student workforce, the dairy is able to manage itself while supporting and teaching students. Students are involved in every aspect of production: from the care and milking of cows, to the production and sale of cheese and ice cream.

“We have a premier teaching aspect in CUDS (Cooperative University Dairy Students),” Swain said. CUDS is a student club that owns and manages a herd of cows at the Knott Dairy. “Those students have full responsibility and make their own decisions on how to manage the herd. It’s good for teaching them the books and business skills,” he said.

Knott Dairy is also used by the veterinary students as a training center and is an aspect of many undergraduate courses. WSU faculty members use the dairy as a facility for cutting-edge research for nutrition and feed efficiency, environmental impact and cow health. Eastern Washington is not an area that is well-known for dairies, Swain said.

“We do the best we can, where we are, with what we’ve got,” he said. Their best is better than many others in the dairy industry.

“It’s an issue of supply and demand,” Swain explained. “The demand is pretty consistent, but the supply right now is more than the industry needs.” There are too many cows producing too much milk. With wheat and other dry goods, a producer can simply store their product and wait for prices to improve. This isn’t the case with perishable goods like milk. Swain said milk only has a matter of days before it needs to be processed.

“Knott Dairy is fortunate to have us as an outlet for their milk,” said Russ Salvadalena, manager of the WSU Creamery where Cougar Gold and Ferdinand’s ice cream are made. “The surplus of milk doesn’t affect Ferdinand’s or the Knott Dairy. Our prices are set from quarter to quarter.” When milk prices began to fall last year, production costs rose sharply at the same time. The rising costs of feed, fuel and fertilizer combined with the low price for milk was a double whammy for producers, Swain said. “I felt bad for the young people who were just getting started in the industry and just getting a foothold,” Swain said. “I knew guys who were close to having everything paid off, and this set them back another 15 years.” Production costs are getting better now, but last year’s scare has many producers looking at how they can reduce their risks if this happens again. Local sustainability is significant at the Knott Dairy. “We are working with local growers to produce the barley and corn to feed for our cows,” Swain said. Finding local niches is a reliable way to ensure your product gets sold, he said. WSU students can rest easy knowing that the WSU Knott Dairy is sustainable and will be around to support their educational needs, along with their cheese and ice cream needs, Swain said.