Essence of Davis

When you smell cow dung, think Essence of Davis. Not currently available in stores.

An odor naturally occurring in the vicinity of Tercero, but on a hot summer night anywhere in town is fair game. West Davis is hit particularly bad, where people have been known to quit smoking rather than brave the outside stench.

For a second opinion on the matter: I live in West Davis, and all I ever smell is flowers and trees. "Quitting smoking rather than braving the outside stench" is totally ridiculous. There are towns that smell like sh.., but Davis is NOT one of them! —SteveDavison

Excrement is not the only "Essence of Davis" there is, or ever has been. Current UCD students are clueless about this, but anyone who grew up in or has lived in Davis for more than a few years remembers the smell of tomatoes in the air in the fall, especially when the Hunt Cannery was open for business. Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning tries to wax poetic about the "smell of tomato soup" each September in one of his columns.

Folks who live around Sudwerk will recognize the distinct smell of brewing beer. Some find it pleasant, others not so much.

Before I moved here I was under the impression that this whole town reeked of shit, but with the exception of the Tercero area that has turned out not to be the case at all. — DanMasiel

2004-12-12 14:27:36   I remember those "tomato soup" days. I spent most of the summer with a craving for tomato soup. I haven't decided if I miss the big tomato spills that happened several times each summer when the huge tomato trucks would take turns too sharply. - BevSykes

2005-02-02 14:02:47   When I lived in Healdsburg, a little town by Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, we called it "Sonoma Aroma." —SummerSong

2005-02-26 10:06:59   Dairy to be relocated to new equestrian center location. Anyone know when this is supposed to happen? —JaimeRaba

2005-04-08 23:58:59   the dairy is going to be relocated? lol, and this will happen AFTER i move out of tercero this year —PatrickSing

2005-12-06 11:31:07   The Equestrian Center is not moving, unfortunately. It WAS going to move out past Russell Ranch (on Russell Blvd.) to a huge 75 or so acre lot... —StaceyGalbreath

2006-04-04 21:38:23   Occasionally I detect it in front of the ARC, if the wind is blowing just right. Not strong enough to be really unpleasant, though. —NicholasCorwin

2006-05-05 22:10:45   I dunno, there's something kinda comforting about having your windows down when you come back into Davis from being elsewhere. Usually my reaction, is " [sniff] smells like home." Haha. —JulieEickhof

2007-06-08 12:49:44   The cows just aren't that bad. When the pig barn was located right next to EUII (now Kemper Hall)... now THAT was some smelly shit. I got used to the cow smell pretty quickly, but I never did get used to the pig smell. Yuk. —NicoleTheWonderNerd

2007-06-08 15:51:01   I don't think its too bad either...I might be saying that though because I have lived in Davis all my life and am used to it. Nothing says summer like having the Delta Breeze with the essance of herbivore. —MyaBrn

2009-09-24 15:17:40   definitely detectable on the way into Aggie Stadium. Consider it a Home Field Advantage. —LaFrance

2012-04-16 09:52:39   chose davis. people in high school calc class kept saying, "why davis? what, you like cows? you like the smell?" for months xx came to davis. did not see any cows on my informal tour or during orientation. did not see any cows until october, actually. i live in segundo - i don't smell any cows unless i visit my friends in tercero. and even tercero isn't THAT bad...

it's madness that davis has a reputation for smelling like cows... because, honestly, i see infinitely more cows on that lovely 5 north on the way up to davis... i get anywhere near davis and it stops. —MacMoore