It’s no secret that Penn State has been the alma mater to some amazing innovations in food. From the Creamery, to the acres of farm land, PSU loves food. Being a part of such an old campus allows room for a lot of history as well, and where there’s history, there’s weird random facts that are fun to pull out and impress your friends with. Here are some random facts about the ghost of Penn State Food’s past.
Photo by Allie Bloom
The Creamery was established in 1865. This makes the building, not only a source of pure, frozen joy, but also a source of history as it clocks in at almost 150 years old. It took 27 years for the ice cream to be made available to the public, which was when it was first sold at a football game in 1896. It’s nice to know that even at the turn of the 19th century, students recognized that our Berkey Creamery was the bomb dot com.
Penn State has an ice cream making class! This is something straight out of a college student’s dreams–getting course credit for making ice cream in Agriculture 5150. I’d explain it in more depth, but I think this is something you should research for yourself. It’ll be more special if you explore this adventure on your own.
Speaking of Agriculture 5150, Ben and Jerry are its most famous alums. Before becoming the ice cream gods they are, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were extremely down on their luck and decided to drop a whopping $5 on the course. They quickly took off and became the wonderful company that offers us the pints we need in our darkest hours.
Photo by Allie Bloom
Penn State awarded the first baccalaureate degrees for agricultural sciences in the country. The College of Agricultural Sciences was established in 1861 and is often considered the premier school for agricultural research in the country. Not bad for a small town in the Middle of Nowhere, PA.
Photo by Allie Bloom
Old Main was originally called The Farmer’s High School before being turned into the College of Agricultural Sciences. It was run by a man named Evan Pugh. You may recognize that name as Penn State’s first president, or as the name-sake of Pugh Street downtown. Either way, you’ve heard of him.
So there you have it! Now you can think about our rich history as you stuff your face with West cookies.
More Good Stuff Here: