2027 On-Farm Intern Application | Center for Dairy Excellence

DEADLINE: On-farm intern applications must be submitted by November 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Click here to submit your application!

The Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, and Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania offer $3,000 grants to students who participate in a 10-12 week on-farm internship program, intended to provide on-farm learning experiences to the next generation of dairy managers in Pennsylvania.

Applicants must be one of the following:

Currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of, a Pennsylvania university or college, or
A resident of Pennsylvania who is currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of an out-of-state university or college, or
A resident of Pennsylvania with a high school diploma and between ages of 18 and 25 as of June 15, 2027, who has agriculture experience and an interest in dairy farming.
Majoring in Animal Sciences or related agriculture field or have experience in production agriculture.
Interested in the production aspect of the dairy industry and/or an on-farm learning experience.

Students are required to:

Participate in an in-person interview at the host farm location prior to acceptance into the on-farm internship program
Determine goals, area of focus, and project for the internship.
Complete the OSHA 10 General Agriculture online course successfully before the start of the on-farm internship.
Maintain confidentiality in work.
Familiarize themselves with and adhere to organization’s relevant policies/procedures and appropriate standards and ethical conduct.
Participate in weekly discussion via Zoom with On-Farm Internship Coordinator and other interns.
Participate in 30-day and final evaluations with the host farm.
Present a final presentation about the internship experience to On-Farm Internship Committee upon conclusion of the on-farm internship.

In addition to completing this application, submit the following to scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org by November 8, 2026, to be an eligible applicant:

A Cover Letter
A Resume
Dairy related and/or former employer references
A letter of recommendation from a dairy-faculty advisor (college) or past educator (high school grad)
An additional letter of recommendation is required for high school grads from a dairy producer.

Note: We recommend you answer the open-ended questions in a Word document and then copy and paste your answers in the application when you are ready to submit.

Briefly outline and explain any previous experiences with dairy farms and dairy animals.
Why are you interested in this on-farm internship?
What goals do you hope to achieve during your on-farm internship?
During this on-farm internship, you will be expected to complete a summer project.
Provide an idea and focus area for a dairy management improvement project that you would be interested in carrying out during your on-farm internship?

2027 On-Farm Internship Intern Application

Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Cell Phone Number*
Home Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
How did you hear about this internship?*
Which of the following criteria best describes your situation?*
- Currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of, a Pennsylvania university or college.
- A resident of Pennsylvania who is currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of an out-of-state university or college.
- A resident of Pennsylvania who, as of June 15, 2027, will have with a high school diploma and will be between ages of 18 and 25 old with agriculture experience and an interest in dairy farming.
High School Graduated*
Date of High School Graduation*
Relevant Dairy Coursework*
List participation in agricultural organizations such as FFA, 4-H, junior breed associations, grange, etc., years participated, and any honors, offices, or awards received.*
College/University (if applicable)
Current Year in School (2026-2027) (if applicable)
College Major (if applicable)
Name of Advisor*
Advisor Email*
Placement Information
The following questions are to assist the committee when finding a host farm for you.
Age as of June 15, 2027*
I have the following years of dairy animal and on-farm experience:*
- None
- 1-2 years
- 3-5 years
- 6 years and over
I am willing to participate in an on-farm internship outside of Pennsylvania:*
- Yes
- No
Do you have a valid PA (or other state) driver's license?*
- Yes
- No

Please check each of the skills you have:*

	I have no experience	I tried it once	I have a little experience	I feel comfortable doing this task	I have many years experience
Operate a skid loader
Drive a tractor
Feed calves
Mix TMR/Feed Cows
Administer medications to cows
IV a cow/calf
AI Breeding

NOTICE: Your answers will NOT affect your selection into the on-farm program. It is only used during the farm placement process to pair you with the right farm.

What size/type of farm do you want to intern on?*
- A grazing facility
- 250 to 750 cow dairy farm
- 1000+ cow dairy farm
- Farm with robotics and/or precision technology
- Farm with strong focus on genetics
- Farm who also produces value added products
- Eager to work on any size farm
Please check up to 3 areas you would like to focus on throughout your internship.*
- Record Keeping
- Financial Management
- Reproductive Program
- Herd Health
- Labor Management/Team Building
- Nutrition
- Milking Procedures
- Milk Quality
- Genetics
- Calf Care
- Crop Management & Agronomy
- Unique Marketing Opportunities
- Rotational Grazing
- Pasture Management
- Organic Farming
Open-Ended Questions
Briefly outline and explain any previous experiences with dairy farms and dairy animals.*
Example: fed calves on family farm for 3 years, milked cows at neighbors farm in parlor for 1 summer, etc.
Why are you interested in this on-farm internship?*
What goals do you hope to achieve during your on-farm internship?*
During this on-farm internship, you will be expected to complete a summer project. Provide an idea and focus area for a dairy management improvement project that you would be interested in carrying out during your on-farm internship?*
Signature & Confirmation
Please check below if you confirm you are aware that your On-Farm Internship Application isn't complete until you email scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org your resume, cover letter, three references and letter(s) of recommendation.*
- I confirm that I acknowledge my application isn’t complete until I send my resume, cover letter, three references and letter(s) of recommendation to scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
You can upload your resume, cover letter, three references and letter(s) of recommendation here as well.
Drop files here or

Max. file size: 100 MB.
Please check below if you confirm this application is completed honestly and accurately. By checking, you are electronically signing your application.*
- I confirm that I completed this application honestly and accurately. I acknowledge this is my electronic signature.
CAPTCHA

2027 On-Farm Internship Intern Application

Placement Information

Open-Ended Questions

Signature & Confirmation