Standing in line at Talley Market or in the creamery at D.H. Hill after a long night of studying to get Howling Cow ice cream is an integral part of student life at NC State. Howling Cow exemplifies NC State’s unique commitment to locally-sourced agriculture, as it is made on campus in the food and bioprocessing department located in Schaub Hall, uses only locally sourced ingredients and simply tastes better than most store-bought ice cream.
However, for students with dietary restrictions, enjoying Howling Cow proves a lot more difficult. As of today, Howling Cow offers no vegan, dairy free or sugar-free options, which means that many students and visitors are forced to miss out on this delicious treat as well as an important part of NC State’s culture.
This situation cannot simply be dismissed as trivial either. It is in stark contrast to NC State’s message of including all students and undermines much of the progress and movement towards including different dietary needs that have been made in the other dining locations on campus.
The campus C-Stores now offer more than 200 vegan items, and the dining halls have made an increased effort to include more vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. Other dining locations within Talley have also begun to make progress, including Los Lobos, which now has several vegan options on the menu. On a campus that has made such a significant effort to accommodate students with dietary restrictions, it seems bizarre that one of NC State’s most highly marketed and most well-known items does not provide options for a significant portion of the campus community.
While some might argue that a dairy free ice cream would not fit with Howling Cow’s brand, which has the word “cow” in the name and implies that it is a dairy product, a vegan version of the ice cream would in no way detract from the original purpose of the brand. In fact, an alternative ice cream choice would allow more people to enjoy the ice cream without sacrificing the already existing flavors.
NC State is well-known for its commitment to sustainability and diversity in relation to food systems, and emphasizing a plant-based ice cream product could be seen as a mark of a growing movement toward sustainability. Additionally, because NC State is home to a lot of plant-based research and agricultural majors, then a locally sourced plant-based ice cream would be a logical addition to the agricultural department.
Furthermore, because Howling Cow is served in the middle of Talley Student Union, a place in which hundreds of students as well as visitors and families pass through every day, it only makes sense to cater to people with a variety of diets. My mom, who is vegan, wanted to try Howling Cow during her last visit, but was sad to find there were no vegan options. Although the next door Yates Mill Bakery does provide vegan and gluten-free options, and Talley as a whole has been slowly integrating a more diverse menu, one of the primary staples of the NC State experience has yet to step up and meet the needs of a growing and diverse population.
Even just an addition of one dairy or sugar-free Howling Cow flavor, or an alternative treat such as frozen yogurt or sorbet, could allow a greater number of students, parents and visitors to enjoy this treat, and would celebrate NC State’s commitment to sustainability. At the end of the day, for those without dietary restrictions, there are still plenty of fantastic options to choose from — but hopefully someday everyone will have those options.
