The ISU dairy farm, which has been in operation for 95 years, is being closed due to budget cuts for the next three fiscal years.

A letter Catherine Woteki, dean of the College of Agriculture, sent this June to faculty and staff of the College of Agriculture said the closure is due to the $829,000 budget cuts for the next year.

She said there will be two other research farms closing to keep costs down next year.

The announcement came as a surprise to those who work on the farm, which according to the workers is self-sufficient.

Jay Beck, manager of the ISU dairy farm, said the farm earns consistent revenue. Each day, the milk is taken to Swiss Valley Farms in Cedar Rapids. The cows produce more than 3,000 gallons of milk a day, and the money from the milk goes into a rotating fund for the farm.

“I just don’t understand why they’re closing the farm; it’s very frustrating,” Beck said.

The College of Agriculture’s dairy science program won’t be abandoned, university officials said.

Wendy Wintersteen, senior associate dean of the College of Agriculture, said the college won’t be without a dairy facility for long.

“There are plans to have a new dairy farm open up possibly within the next three years,” Wintersteen said. “This is going to be a short term experience for the students here. They will still have a rich experience at Iowa State.”

Neil Harl, professor of agriculture economics, said he strongly disagrees about