Published 2:23 pm Thursday, April 10, 2025
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A $73 million renovation of Withycombe Hall at Oregon State University aims to energize and expand hands-on learning with new labs for dairy and wine, as well as other upgrades.
The project also revives the facility’s creamery, which closed 55 years ago to make room for a theater.
The Beaver Classic Creamery storefront will sell student-made ice cream, cheese and honey, and the university plans to offer meat products and produce.
“This is in many ways a rebirth of the building,” said Staci Simonich, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, during a tour April 9.
The 1950 structure had never undergone a major renovation.
A grand opening celebration for the Beaver Classic Creamery featuring Benny Beaver and the OSU Marching Band is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 11. The first 1,000 patrons will receive free ice cream.
The storefront is set to officially open for business April 14.
(To see a video related to the grand opening event for the Beaver Classic Creamery click here.)
With the Beaver Classic program, students get practical experience with food production and safety — or perhaps business and marketing — that can jumpstart their careers, said Lisbeth Goddik, department head for food science and technology.
Ingredients such as milk and honey are sourced from campus and other OSU sites.
Dhaval Bhakta, the ag college’s business and student development manager, said the program has between 100 and 150 paid student workers.
The Beaver Classic brand was launched in 2012, introducing OSU’s student-made cheeses, and expanded to include other ag college products in 2021.
The Tillamook Dairy Innovators Lab, the Erath Family Foundation Winery Laboratory and other improvements were made possible by numerous industry donors.
The dairy industry raised close to 5% of the overall renovation budget, which was matched by the Oregon Legislature, while the wine industry contributed about 2%, Goddik said, in an email.
Brandon Riesgaard, dairy pilot plant manager, said upgrades will increase production volume and options at the new 7,000-square-foot dairy lab.
“I’m so excited and honestly the students are, too,” he added. Companies also will be able to trial products.
Riesgaard said producing ice cream and cheese requires students to apply what they learn in chemistry and other science courses.
“We’re not afraid to make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes,” he added.
Goddik said that the Withycombe renovations will elevate OSU’s wine program and Oregon’s industry.
The wine lab expanded from 900 square feet to 2,500 square feet and has quadrupled the number of vats used to ferment grapes from OSU’s vineyard and other locations.
OSU’s production could more than double, said Atzin Gonzalez, research winery manager.
“Maybe in the next few years we can have a commercial brand. … That’s the long term goal,” Gonzalez said.
Sindhura Karuturi, a senior from Rajahmundry, India, worked in the Beaver Classic program for four years.
After graduation, she’ll head to France for a dairy job with Lactalis, but her career should take her to California in two years as an assistant plant manager.
Karuturi helped develop two Asian-inspired ice creams that are part of the creamery’s launch.
A chai ice cream honors OSU President Jayathi Murthy and a Thai tea flavor was created for Simonich, the college of ag dean.
Karuturi came to OSU fascinated by manufacturing facilities but didn’t know much about dairy.
“Seeing people react to the products I made gave me a complete sense of satisfaction,” she said.
