This content was published: October 6, 2022. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
小黄猫传媒’s barn will be transformed into modern learning facility to accommodate demand
Story and Photos By 小黄猫传媒 Communications.
Artist rendering of new, state-of-the-art barn.
The 50-year-old barn at 小黄猫传媒鈥檚 Rock Creek Campus will soon be replaced with a modern learning facility.
An operating barn is crucial in supporting 小黄猫传媒鈥檚 Veterinary Technology Program and shelter working farm animals, including sheep, horses, goats, cattle and pigs. Through this farm facility, students gain hands-on caretaking experience through hoof trimming, bandaging, and animal vaccination workshops. Community members can visit and learn practical life skills often lost in urban settings鈥攍ike how to shear sheep and turn raw wool into yarn.
The existing barn wasn鈥檛 built to accommodate today’s classroom needs. After decades of wear and tear, the facility will need to be replaced to be aligned with today’s training needs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful barn but definitely can be improved,鈥 said 小黄猫传媒 Farm Manager Avery Thompson. 鈥淭his past winter, a few weeks before lambing season, the roof was leaking right where I keep my lambs.鈥
The initial plan was to just replace the roof鈥攁 fix that would address deferred maintenance but do little to solve capacity and learning needs. The 2017 小黄猫传媒 bond allowed the college to think beyond maintenance and create a vision for how this facility can best serve students and the community over the next 50 years.
2022 小黄猫传媒 Bond Measure
小黄猫传媒 will have a $450 million bond measure on the Nov. 8 election ballot. If voters pass the proposed bond, funds would go directly to projects that will improve access to higher education. If passed, it is estimated the measure would maintain current tax rates for local homeowners. If it doesn’t, the proposed services would not be provided and the tax rate would decline.
Approximately $3.5 million will be used to build a new barn of聽 pre-engineered metal that聽 will provide resiliency to the stresses of weather and use of heavy equipment required to clean a barn. Planned improvements include:
- Floor reconfiguration to help streamline operations and reduce costs associated with upkeep of bedding for animals
- Additional feeding and shelter space for animals
- Restrooms, storage and office space, and a classroom
- Technology upgrades including a webcam to monitor animal health during lambing and calving season
Thompson said inclusion of a classroom is the most significant change for the farm. Currently, students spend time traveling across campus鈥攆rom barn to classroom鈥攖o complete their labs. Having a classroom within the barn itself allows students to complete work efficiently and spend more time interacting with animals.
鈥淲e are trying to provide more educational opportunities out here,鈥 Thompson said. 鈥淚 want it to be a place where people feel more comfortable visiting and interacting with the animals.鈥
In the past, nonprofit organizations such as Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation expressed interest in hosting educator workshops at the farm, but the current aging barn prevented that from happening. The planned classroom and overall improvements will provide a comfortable environment conducive to learning. The barn will be a welcoming community space鈥攐pen and inviting to students, staff, neighbors and community groups.
Thompson said this project will naturally improve the Veterinary Technology Program at 小黄猫传媒.
鈥淥ur Vet Tech Program already has a great reputation,鈥 she shared. 鈥淭his new barn will just continue to raise the level of the program.鈥
Construction of the new barn is slated to begin early next spring. The facility will be build adjacent to the old barn so that farm operations can continue and students are able to train on the animals. It is scheduled to be complete by fall 2023, in time for the start of the school year.