Does anyone remember that until 17 to 18 years ago, A&M had its own Creamery? They made outstanding ice cream! The Old Creamery was located on the Main Campus and was torn down to allow for construction that involved the expansion of Sterling Evans. A building that was to house the New Creamery was constructed at 400 Discovery Drive on the West Campus. I never fully understood why the Old Creamery equipment was never moved in to the New Creamery, or why new Creamery equipment was never purchased and moved in. You can see the building that was constructed to house the New Creamery at http://ebeam.tamu.edu/. I miss the A&M Creamery and their French Silk Ice Cream.

It's now the baseball stadium

I remember. It was awesome. I used to have a couple of shakes a week there and it was always crowded. My wife and I still talk about it whenever we visit my daughter, class of '14. Wonder why they don't open it up again? It was a great fit with the dairy sciences curriculum.

After five mile run, quart of creamery whole milk (cream on top), dozen warm Shipley's donuts that would melt glaze onto textbooks - no weight gain. Did not even know it was heaven on earth.

In 70 as a fish it was a great way to forget ur woes. A malt at the creamery seemed to make things all right. For a few minutes.

A&M doesn't have dairy cows anymore. Liquidated the herd ~2004.

[This message has been edited by Max06 (edited 2/19/2012 3:26p).]

As a zip I would go in and buy a milkshake or gallon of milk on the way back to the Quad from the O&M building.

Then what do they use for dairy scIence majors? School website says they still have heifers

Used to buy red waxed yellow cheese there also. The would sell out within hours of getting it in. Good stuff.

Gig 'em Aggies!

They may still have heifers, but they certainly are not milking any cattle. I distinctly remember signing petitions for A&M to keep the herd & center open, as there was so much tradition and history tied up in the cattle.

A&M purchased six dairy cows in order to produce milk & dairy products for the corps of cadets. The lineage of all six of those cows was intertwined in the herd when they dispersed it in ~2004.

I remember visiting the dairy farm a few times when I worked at the vet school. It was very dilapidated and run down, it literally was 40-50 years out of date. Tarelton has recently opened up a state-of-the-art facility which is where all the serious dairy students go to school.

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Old Creamery was located on the Main Campus and was torn down to allow for construction that involved the expansion of Sterling Evans

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I'm having trouble picturing where that was. Where the new Evans Annex is now? I remember when all that was being built, just don't remember what had been there previously.

I didn't move down until January 1996, so it may have been gone by then.

Near the Pavilion.

Leave straight out from the commons. Coupla blocks on the left.

Get your ice cream.

Smell the pigs.


Great times!

No dairy cows and no dairy? So does A&M still offer a degree in dairy science?

Must have chickens as Von Miller studied poultry science (as I recall).

Yes, they still offer a dairy science degree. There are only a handful of dairy majors though.

When I was an undergrad (94-98), we still had ANSC 108 labs at the Swine Center (where the GWB Library now sits) and Animal Repro included palpating cows out at the Dairy. By the time I took Repro, the Animal Science Complex out by the river towards was mostly complete and we did a few things out there with the bulls. Some of the sheep and goat herds had been moved out to the river by then, too. I do remember sheering sheep next to the Dairy in 99, though. And I helped with dairy judging competitions at the Dairy up until about 01 or 02. By the end, it was no longer functioning and was just sad looking.

I used to go there all the time.

Yes, the French Silk was worth the ten minute walk from across the tracks, even in the summer time.

I asked about it years ago from someone who worked in the building. They made a face when I asked.

According to the story I heard--which could be truth or bullcrap--it seems that after deciding to move the creamery into a new building, no one checked the measurements on the equipment vs. the new construction. So they couldn't get the new machines into the building. And it was therefore "let go."

I cringe thinking incompetence would make that happen to such a great A&M student (or non-student) attraction that would be perfect for an AGRICULTURAL school to have.

I miss those days.

I have wondered what happened to it. My wife (girlfriend back then) and I used to go for milkshakes when it was located near the pavilion. They were the absolute best - thick and creamy! I think they moved it to across the tracks during our senior year (1987). We went there once and got shakes but never went back. That area was kind of the middle of nowhere back then. We have three kids at A&M now and I have been wanting to find it and take 'em there. Sad to hear that it doesn't exist anymore!

1972, 1973 quarts of cream top milk with a dozen donuts from Shipley's with the glaze melting off the warm donuts... reward for night of study and five mile run. Those were the days, right across the street from Kruger Dunn.

momlaw said:

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1972, 1973 quarts of cream top milk with a dozen donuts from Shipley's with the glaze melting off the warm donuts... reward for night of study and five mile run. Those were the days, right across the street from Kruger Dunn.

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Sounds like heaven on earth

The ol 4 year double post.

I shouldnt poke fun. Im,terrible on the boards. Cant type on phones. Would serve me well to take a few responses ive had and just paste them here and there.

Gave me a good chuckle. Definitely something id do

Double post for the creamery is worth it. I am old enough (and lucky enough) to have enjoyed it.

I remember the first time I walked past that line of people outside that tiny brick building thinking "what the hell? What do they know that I don't?" Yeah. That was definitely a line to be in. Those malts were amazing. Those that missed it missed a true gem.

I was a grad student in the Plant Science Building in '77 and '78 and went to the creamery (right next door) at least twice a week for a milk shake. Good times.

the program was ended by Robert Gates.

It was heavenly. Those were the first years women lived on campus. Lots of "asks". My typical response was, "not a study date, but will go for a run at 10:00 PM if you're interested." Weeded out the light weights. Heavy weights got in on the donuts and fresh milk. The one I married still has sugar glaze on his ME textbook.

I loved A&M's milk, ice cream, and other dairy products. We're a world-class agriculture, science, and engineering university in a state with one of the biggest agricultural economies in the USA. Seems a no brainer to have a creamery and operating dairy.

Sadly, I remember very well reading about the decision to close it. The reason, iirc, was the cost.

It was right after I had visited Washington State University's creamery in Pullman, WA, and had their ice cream and bought some of their world-famous cheeses.

Wazzu's endowment: $880 million

Texas A&M's endowment: $10 billion

Cream topped whole milk. God's nectar.

Closing the creamery was a total injustice. Best shakes and malts. I only wish the decisions were a bit more publicized. Had they been a bit more in the news, I'll bet we could have shaken the trees among folks like us to get enough donated to keep it going.


I, like a previous poster, remember the feeling that life was good for a few minutes, until you had to go back to the grind ( The Corps, class, studying, work, etc.). Now those memories are a part of the fabric of our rich experience there.

I remember pausing for refreshment there with some buds from the Corps who are no longer alive. I sure wish I could go back for a shake with them one more time.

Closing the creamery wasn't solely based off of the P&L of the creamery/retail outlet itself.

Maintaining a herd of dairy animals is very costly and labor intensive. In addition, at the time of the closure milk prices were very low. There was a large petition to save it, I know because I personally signed it.

The facilities were very outdated and truly not worth updating. Tarleton State University has since established a state of the art dairy science center & program, plus they're in a geographical location that has a lot of dairies (unlike College Station). Tarleton is truly better suited for a dairy program, and Texas A&M still has collaborative dairy science ties with Tarleton.

Grew up in a military family. One of the few times we were able to come back to visit campus, it was summertime. We were walking around in the heat, and dad promised us some ice cream from the creamery (probably to keep us from whining about being too hot). We walked all over trying to find it, only to discover it no longer existed. I think maybe we went to the MSC or the commons and got ice cream bars from the C Store, but I remember being very disappointed.

Double post

I've heard that penn st has a kick ass creamery...
https://creamery.psu.edu/

Agof84 said:

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I remember. It was awesome. I used to have a couple of shakes a week there and it was always crowded. My wife and I still talk about it whenever we visit my daughter, class of '14. Wonder why they don't open it up again? It was a great fit with the dairy sciences curriculum.

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The malts were amazing, too. On my way back to the Quad after my Meteorology class at the O&M Building. Well worth the wait.