Elevated spirits resonated throughout the grand reopening of the revitalized dairy pilot plant at UW-River Falls, a testament to Michelle Farner’s unwavering dedication over the past 11 years as the Director of Dairy Production. Overcoming unforeseen challenges, the grand ceremony on Friday marked the official reopening of the Agricultural Science Building’s 6,000 square-foot, $9 million dairy plant—a stunning transformation from its closure five years ago due to outdated machinery.
The refurbished plant, now adorned with rows of gleaming state-of-the-art equipment, stands as a beacon for students and dairy industry professionals to engage in cutting-edge, hands-on learning in dairy product manufacturing. Renamed in honor of the Wuethrich Family Foundation and Grassland Dairy Products, Inc., who’s generous $1 million donation played a pivotal role, the facility symbolizes a collective commitment to excellence.
Amidst a gathering of UWRF officials, politicians, and agriculture industry supporters, Farner expressed the profound significance of witnessing the completion of the facility. Her emotions were palpable as she expressed, “This is truly a momentous occasion for so many people, especially me. It’s positively amazing to finally see the equipment that I have spent so much time researching, working with vendors on, and fundraising for actually be installed and operational.”
Throughout the ceremony, speakers lauded Farner’s tireless efforts and the collective commitment that propelled the dairy plant from vision to reality. John Umhoefer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, hailed Farner as the project’s champion, emphasizing, “Her perseverance and conviction are the only reason we’re standing here today.”
Ampco Pumps Company is honored and proud to have been able to play a part in making the Center of Excellence a reality. Through the donation of 16 new sanitary L Series centrifugal pumps and three patented ZP3 Series circumferential piston pumps the donation is an expression of Ampco’s commitment to the future of dairy processing and to the University of Wisconsin River Falls for the new facility.
As the dairy plant makes final adjustments, operations are set to commence in November, with milk from UWRF-operated Mann Valley Farm being processed.
Click to learn more about the full event from UW River Falls
