Purdue Creamery relaunch brings milk sales to Spring Fest

Spring Fest visitors will have the opportunity to purchase Purdue milk on April 18, including whole white and chocolate options.

The milk sales will mark the new initiative of the reintroduction of the Purdue Creamery, which will expand hands-on learning opportunities for students across the university while connecting to Purdue’s rich history in the dairy industry.

The Purdue Creamery operated from the mid-1910s until 1969, offering milk, butter, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products to students, faculty and staff. After nearly six decades, the creamery is being reintroduced to support experiential learning and increase visibility of Purdue’s dairy program.

Eric Bousman, dairy unit manager at the Animal Sciences Research and Education Center (ASREC), is leading the effort to bring the creamery back. He joined the dairy unit four years ago and became manager about a year and a half ago, with a goal of eventually reintroducing the creamery.

“Bringing the creamery back was a dream. I didn’t know how soon it would happen, but it’s a way to keep the dairy at Purdue viable while bringing that legacy back,” Bousman said.

At launch, the creamery will offer whole white and chocolate milk. The milk will be non-homogenized, resulting in a richer flavor and a more traditional product.

This effort provides hands-on learning opportunities for students across disciplines, from animal sciences to food science and marketing, giving them experience in product handling, processing and production.

“We’re putting a lot of time and effort into building something people can be proud of,” Bousman said. “It’s also a way to attract students who are interested in dairy production and give them a strong foundation in what the industry really looks like.”

At Spring Fest, 50 12-ounce bottles of whole white milk and 400 12-ounce bottles of chocolate milk will be available for purchase at the Boilermaker Butcher Block. White milk will be priced at $3 per bottle, while chocolate milk will cost $3.50.

Spring Fest will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Bousman hopes to expand the creamery’s capabilities to include products such as cheese, butter and ice cream.

“This is just the beginning. We want to build something that puts Purdue back on the map and creates products people recognize for their quality,” Bousman said.