Columbus: Revisited

"Columbus," original watercolor painting

I met Columbus (1492) in the spring of 2017 while visiting the College of the Ozarks in Hollister, Missouri. She, like the other calves, was in a pen in a barn at the college dairy, awaiting feeding time. At 5:00 pm each day, immediately after the cows are milked, the young cows are bottle-fed by hand.

Let me explain.
The College of the Ozarks is a private Christian college in Point Lookout, Missouri. The vision of College of the Ozarks is to "develop citizens of Christ-like character who are well-educated, hard-working, and patriotic".

Each student participates in the on-campus work program at one of more than 100 campus jobs or industries for 15 hours per week and two forty-hour work weeks per school year. Credits from participation in the work program, any federal and/or state aid for which students qualify, and the C of O Cost of Education Scholarship combine to cover the Cost of Education.

There are no student loans involved and there is no cash due from students for Cost of Education: Only good, solid, hard work (hence the nickname "Hard Work U"). All C of O students are given the opportunity to graduate debt-free.

Farm to fork dining.
Often when staying at our condo in Hollister, Missouri, we make reservations to dine at the Keeter Center, which is always a treat!

The Keeter Center is unique from other Branson restaurants, as it is an integral part of College of the Ozarks Work Education Program.

Our student servers are always bright, intelligent, friendly, and knowledgeable. The food is always fresh and delicious, beginning with the homemade rolls, drop biscuits and apple butter, and ending with a selection of decadent desserts (if you still have room after your meal)!

The Farmers Gardens features fresh fruits and vegetables, along with beef and pork meat cuts, campus dairy milk, and student made items from throughout campus work stations. The Farmers Gardens student work station is in production year round, providing fresh produce to The Keeter Center.

The calves are quite aggressive with the half gallon bottles of fresh milk!

Back to the cows!

Anyway, there is a lot to see on the campus grounds, and that year (2017) I was wandering around the barns asking questions of some of the student workers. They led me to the calves and invited me to come back at 5:00 to feed the babies (that's me with Columbus, above). Now I try to do just that whenever we are in town!

I ask about Columbus every time I visit, and the students always know exactly where she is... whether in the fields or, as happened last week, in the milking barn.