From Farm to Bottle: MTSU Agriculture features in special April ‘Out of the Blue’ [+VIDEO]

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s School of Agriculture is in the spotlight in a special edition of “Out of the Blue,” tracing the journey of its popular and delicious chocolate milk while highlighting the hands-on experiences that prepare students for careers in the industry.

Dr. Andrew Oppmann, vice president for marketing and communications — Dr. Andrew Oppmann

The 30-minute episode, hosted by Andrew Oppmann, vice president for the Division of Marketing and Communications, follows the process from the Experiential Learning and Research Center, part of the MTSU Farm Laboratories, in Lascassas to the MTSU Creamery and ultimately to the Rutherford Farmers Co-Op in Murfreesboro. Along the way, viewers see how students are involved at every stage, from dairy production to processing and distribution.

Recorded at multiple locations, the special showcases the university’s commitment to experiential learning within the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

The episode features:

• A look inside the university’s dairy operation, where students gain hands-on experience in herd management, milking and farm operations.

• Student perspectives on how working at the farm has shaped their academic paths and career goals.

• An inside look at the MTSU Creamery on campus, where milk is tested, processed and bottled.

• The final stop at the Rutherford Farmers Co-Op, where the product reaches the community, supports the local economy and is one of several businesses in the area that sell this signature MTSU product.

The episode also underscores the broader impact of agriculture in Tennessee and MTSU’s role in preparing students to meet the needs of a growing industry.

You can watch the full episode below:

Ways to watch, listen

• “Out of the Blue” is available anytime on the university’s YouTube channel, the True Blue TV channel, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

• It also airs on Murfreesboro cable Channel 9 daily at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; NewsChannel5+ at 6:30 p.m. Sundays; WKRN+ at 7 p.m. Thursdays and noon Sundays; and streamed on the MTSU Jazz Network through WMOT.org at 7 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month; and on other cable outlets in Middle Tennessee, so check local listings.

• It is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Google Play and as individual interview segments on Spotify at https://spoti.fi/453hxg3.

Watch previous episodes of “Out of the Blue” at https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue.

— Karli Sutton (Karli.Sutton@mtsu.edu)