From the Ground Up
Secretary Rollinswas joined by U.S. Congressman Tom Barrett, Michigan Sen. Roger Victory, Michigan Rep. Jerry Neyer, and Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross, along with other farmers and leaders across Michigan agriculture. Dr. Barry Bradford, C.E. Meadows Endowed Chair in Dairy Management and Nutrition, led the tour of the facility, which opened last summer and houses an expanded 680-cow cattle barn.
The visit included a roundtable discussion where Secretary Rollins heard directly from mid-Michigan farmers and commodity stakeholders about their day-to-day experiences and shared her own vision for the future.
“Agriculture is opening up, we’re changing,” Rollins said. “We’re opening the aperture of the market to a whole new generation of kids who want to grow up and be in agriculture, to be a part of the land and build a life there.”
MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz reinforced the university’s role in that future: “Michigan State University is proud to be the first university in the U.S. to teach scientific agriculture. Food security is national security, and we’re proud to stand alongside Michigan’s farmers in this work.”
The center is a research hub for Michigan’s $15 billion dairy industry, which leads the nation in per-cow milk production. And the pipeline of talent is growing, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Dean and Associate Provost Matt Daum noted the college is in its fourth consecutive year of record enrollment, with over 700 students in the Animal Science program alone, nearly 80% of whom don’t come from traditional farming backgrounds.
“The Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center is a beautiful facility, but even more important than the facility itself is what we do here: work that impacts farmers across our state,” said Daum.
Where Climate Control Meets Animal Welfare
A facility of this scale and ambition demands infrastructure that performs as hard as the researchers inside it. That’s where we come in.
We’re proud that GrainProteinTech Climate Control & Air Treatment solutions are installed and operating inside this world-class center. Specifically, the facility utilizes our Vortex 74 exhaust fans and AX circulation fans; engineered to deliver consistent, reliable airflow throughout large-scale dairy environments.
- Heat and moisture management – Maintaining stable interior conditions reduces heat stress on cattle, directly supporting animal welfare and productivity.
- Consistent airflow distribution – Our AX circulation fans eliminate stagnant air pockets, ensuring every area of the barn receives uniform ventilation.
- Healthier environments for cattle and people – Effective exhaust and air treatment improve air quality for both the herd and the students, researchers, and staff who work alongside them every day.
Why It Matters
Modern dairy research can’t happen in subpar conditions. Temperature swings, excess humidity, and poor air quality don’t just compromise animal comfort; they skew research data, limit the scope of studies, and undermine the very innovations these facilities are built to foster.
MSU’s investment in the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center reflects a commitment to getting it right from the ground up. By selecting proven climate control technology, the university ensures that its research environment meets the same exacting standards as the science being conducted inside it.
As MSU Extension Director Quentin Tyler put it: “When we talk about improving Michigan agriculture, we are talking about improving American agriculture.”
Looking Ahead
Secretary Rollins chose this very facility as the stage to announce more than $275 million in USDA grant funding for the specialty crop industry, a testament to Michigan’s standing as the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation. That kind of federal confidence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on the foundation of facilities like this one, where cutting-edge research meets best-in-class infrastructure.
Climate control isn’t a luxury in modern dairy operations and the research center; it’s foundational. It protects animal welfare, supports the accuracy and reliability of research, and creates environments where the next generation of agricultural leaders can learn and innovate. Climate control isn’t a luxury in modern dairy operations and the research center; it’s foundational. It protects animal welfare, supports the accuracy and reliability of research, and creates environments where the next generation of agricultural leaders can learn and innovate.
We’re grateful to see our equipment working inside a facility that is setting the standard for dairy research nationwide. And as the industry continues to evolve, GrainProteinTech Climate Control & Air Treatment will be right there, delivering the climate control solutions that make progress possible.
Interested in learning how GrainProteinTech Ventilation & Air Treatment systems can support your agricultural facility? Contact Us!
