NC State Howling Cow Ice Cream

NC State University and dairy go wayyyyy back. 🥛🐄

This archive photo from December 5, 1960, shows one of NC State's bulk milk trucks in action.

More than 60 years later, the journey from cow to cone is still happening right here in Raleigh. Milk from NC State's Dairy Farm is transported to the Feldmeier Dairy Processing Lab inside Schaub Hall, where it's tested, pasteurized, and used to create the dairy products and ice cream that Howling Cow is known for today!

📸: NC State University Libraries

Let the celebrations continue! 🐄🥛

Meet Geni and her daughter, Girlboss, two Brown Swiss cows who recently calved in and are now part of our milking string.

They're also part of a growing family. Girlboss recently welcomed a heifer calf of her own named Gaga, continuing a naming tradition we often use on the farm by keeping the same first letter within a family line.

Beyond the fun names, these family connections help tell an important story. Dairy farmers track generations of cows and their genetics to help make informed breeding decisions and improve traits like health, longevity, milk production, and efficiency over time.

Stay tuned throughout June as we continue introducing you to the cows that help bring dairy education to life at NC State University's Dairy Farm!

The only thing better than scooping Howling Cow ice cream? Scooping Howling Cow ice cream with your friends. 🍦🤝🐄

Ice cream season is officially in full swing. Thank you for your patience as our student team works through the line and helps make every visit to the Creamery a great one!

Calling all future farmers, veterinarians, dairy leaders, and agriculture enthusiasts: this one's for you! 🐄☀️

There are still a few spots available in Howling Cow Summer Camps, offering campers the opportunity to step behind the scenes at NC State University's Dairy Farm and experience hands-on learning, dairy cattle, showmanship, and agricultural career exploration up close.

🐮 Jr. Cow Camp (Ages 12–15)
📍 July 6–11 | 9 AM–4 PM
Learn dairy showmanship skills while exploring different areas of the dairy industry through daily excursions.
📝 Register: https://bit.ly/HowlingCowCamps

🐮 Cow Camp (Ages 15–18)
📍 July 13–18 | 9 AM–4 PM
Explore careers in the dairy industry while building advanced dairy show skills through hands-on experiences.
📝 Register: https://bit.ly/HowlingCowCamps

Spots are limited and filling quickly, so don't wait to reserve your camper's spot!

Happy to all who celebrate! 🥳🐄

All month long, we'll be introducing you to some of the cows that call NC State University's Dairy Farm home while also sharing the people, history, and mission that make our Dairy Enterprise program so special.

First up: meet Firework, an almost three-year-old Jersey cow currently expecting her second calf. 🎆

Firework’s mother, Fay, is the second-oldest Jersey cow in our milking string. Firework is currently milking alongside her half-sisters, Freya and Flicka, making them one of the most productive Jersey families on the farm!

Firework’s lineage can be traced back to the original Randleigh herd established by dairy pioneer William Rand Kenan Jr. In fact, every Jersey cow at NC State’s Dairy Farm descends from those original animals!

Today, that legacy lives on through dairy education, research, and the students who help care for the cows every day.

To learn more about the Randleigh Legacy, visit https://bit.ly/HowlingCowRandleighLegacy. 🔗

While they're chasing the Cup, we'll handle the cones. 🍦🏆

Wishing the Carolina Hurricanes a legen-dairy finish to the season. 🚨

A scoop on the Creamery patio comes with pasture views… and sometimes a few very curious (and vocal) spectators. 🐄🍨👀

And yes, they’re absolutely paying attention to your flavor selection. Good thing there are no wrong choices! 😉