Jay Beck, manager of the Iowa State Dairy Farm, is covered in dirt as he speaks to another man in a blue and white shirt about cow fertility.

Beck, who manages and supervises staff and students at the ISU Dairy Farm, 2602 Mortensen Rd., can name every single one of the more than 400 cows in the milking corral.

He has been working for Iowa State for more than 25 years. He began as a student working on the farm, then moved to full time and went to school part time.

“There is a lot of history here for me,” Beck said, shaking his head slightly. “My job here is pretty much 24 hours. [The ISU Police] call me when our cows get out, and I go and retrieve them.”

Beck, who graduated from Iowa State in 1976 in dairy science, said he had no idea that closing the dairy farm was even proposed.

He said he wasn’t allowed to talk to Catherine Woteki, dean of the College of Agriculture, about the decision until after it was made.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said the farm is being closed due to budget cuts for the next three fiscal years.

A letter Woteki sent Thursday to faculty and staff of the College of Agriculture said the closure is due to the $829,000 budget cut for next year.

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

“We were told a week ago on Thursday,” Beck said. “Then I had to go to a meeting [about the budget cuts] with the department of agriculture professors and dean last week.”

Beck said he has been the farm manager for five years and previously worked on another ISU farm in Ankeny, which the university is attempting to sell.

Beck walks into the milking parlor to check on the afternoon milking process. “Every one of the workers has developed a kinship with the cows here,” he said.

A Jersey cow named Sparkle tries to get back into the milking parlor. Beck waits a few minutes to see if she was going back outside. When he realizes she isn’t moving, he takes her outside by leading her gently by the neck. “Sparkle there is a character,” he said. “She’s been here with us for two years and has a defiant personality.”

Sparkle comes back inside again and moos at him loudly. He walks her back outside and softly tells her to stay put as he taps her back. She swishes her tail at him.

The Iowa State Dairy Farm began in 1908 with a few heifers and bulls — female and male cows,respectively, Beck said. Throughout the years, the farm has grown considerably. Dairy science majors come to the farm to get experience in their field.

In 1995, renovation to the milking corral was done to update the technology. Ten buildings also received new roofs as well.

“We stopped having bulls here a while ago,” he said. “We don’t have enough room or the right facilities for them. There is a big demand for our calves and we do have a waiting list for them.”

Beck said the farm is pretty self-sufficient. 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,” he said.

Wendy Wintersteen, senior associate dean 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 here at Iowa State.”

There have been concerns about the outdated farm for a long time, Wintersteen said. The new dairy farm is proposed to cost $15 million. Plans are being sent to an architect later this summer, she said. Geoffroy said closing the farm was a recommendation by Woteki, and he approved it.

“It’s closing the facilities now, but providing a bigger future for the agriculture department,” Geoffroy said. “Ultimately, the end result will be an enhancement of teaching and researching for the college.”

Rachel Stammeyer, senior in dairy science, said she is very upset about the situation. She has been working for the farm for the past two years, and her sister also worked there. “I found out last weekend,” Stammeyer said. “Everyone is upset. I just want to know why they’re doing it. This doesn’t just affect the university; it affects Story County, the 4-H Club in Ames and the public. The public won’t be able to come out and see how the dairy farm operates.”

Catherine Beavers, an incoming freshman in English, said she has worked with the dairy farm through the Ames 4-H Club. The Ames 4-H Club had an opportunity to come out and work with the cows for the past few years, Beavers said. They have a “share-a-heifer” program with the farm, where they come out and pick heifers for the county fair, she said.

“The farm closing won’t affect the program this year,” Beavers said. “We will still be able to show this summer. Personally, I was looking forward to taking animal science [classes] and still working at the farm in the fall.”

Beavers said she is disappointed to see the farm close.

“It makes me really sad to see it close,” she said.