From white cheddar to orange custard chocolate chip, the Babcock Dairy Store has been slicing and scooping udderly delicious treats since 1951, spanning approximately 265 cow years. The store, located inside Babcock Hall, and the connected dairy plant, are aptly named for Stephen Moulton Babcock, a UW researcher whose inventions revolutionized the dairy industry. The base mix for Babcock’s ice cream has stayed the same since it was first produced (why mess with perfection?), but there have been plenty of changes to the facility and the menu to keep things as fresh as a squeaky cheese curd. In 2023, Babcock Hall reopened after an extensive expansion and renovation that included 10 new “cheese caves” and a food-grade pilot facility for innovations in dairy. The university’s 175th anniversary also initiated some churnover to Babcock’s offerings, when a new cheese, Cranniverscherry, and ice cream flavor, 175 S’more Years, hit shelves in late 2023. Let’s raise a cup (or cone) to Babcock’s continued dairy-filled (and sometimes dairy-free) success.