By Rafael Martinez
Division of Communications and Marketing
A renovated Call Hall dairy plant and new 1863 Marketplace are creating a better home for one of K‑State's most treasured traditions
MANHATTAN — Jared Parsons knows what you're thinking: where's the ice cream?While there's been plenty of excitement for Kansas State University's new Western Star Grain and Food Center — a new state-of-the-art interdisciplinary center for food and grain research, development and education — there's also been a lot of buzz surrounding the return of Call Hall ice cream and other dairy products.
The university's dairy plant operations and Call Hall Dairy Bar services have been paused since spring 2025 for renovations and the installation of new equipment.But behind the dairy plant's closed doors, a massive transformation is underway. When the facility reopens and returns to production this spring, the K‑State community will not only get a taste of their favorite purple ice cream — they'll experience a reimagined retail space for ice cream and other K‑State products in the 1863 Marketplace. Renovated Call Hall Dairy Plant features modern equipment, expanded capacity.
Now, the renovated plant is stepping into the future. The upgrade features individual flow panels and programmable logic controller, or PLC, controls. Before the renovation, students and staff had to assemble piping for the clean-in-place system by hand. The new facility utilizes fixed piping, taking the guesswork out of assembly and bringing the plant up to modern industry standards.
The renovation also doubles the plant's production capacity for fluid milk holding and freezer space, while introducing modern technology like a membrane filtration system. This system allows researchers to separate milk into its core components, such as proteins and minerals, opening the door to advanced coproduct development.
Beyond production, the plant will also serve as a vital educational pilot facility. A newly dedicated research and development room, along with a five-minute holding tube on the pasteurizer, will allow faculty to innovate with cultured products.
At the same time, students will get hands-on experience with these cutting-edge tools, allowing them to see and operate the same kind of machinery they might encounter in their careers after graduation. As Kansas bolsters its dairy industry, that's crucial, Parsons said.
Although Call Hall dairy products will feature prominently in the new space when it opens in spring 2027, 1863 Marketplace will provide a much larger footprint and help better showcase the retail operations' role as a one-stop shop that highlights the comprehensive food-product prowess of K-State's agricultural programs.