This summer, we have 9 students completing on-farm internships on progressive dairy farms in Pennsylvania and New York! The Dairy Excellence Foundation, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association provide $3,000 grants to support these on-farm internship program each summer.
Read their stories and view highlights from their summer!
Meet Calvin, an On-Farm Intern Who’s Gaining Firsthand Experience with Breeding and Genetics
His favorite thing about dairy farming: I love the hard work that is put into dairy farming and the scientific progress the industry has made.
As long as he can remember, Calvin Dechow has been around cows. A rising junior at Penn State University where he studies animal science, Calvin spends a lot of his time on his grandfather’s dairy farm in Western New York. He spends most of his summers working there and showing animals. After talking to dairy industry professionals who encouraged him to broaden his skillset and gain hands-on experience on a progressive dairy farm, Calvin decided to complete an on-farm internship at Furnace Hill Holsteins in Lebanon, Pennsylvania this summer.
“I wanted to get more experience and a different idea of what a functional day [looks like] on a dairy farm. My grandfather doesn’t milk anymore, so I wanted to be on a farm that does milk, get experience breeding, and see the management side of dairy farming,” Calvin said. “I also talked to other people about finding jobs in the dairy industry. One of the biggest things they said was to get more on-farm experience.”
Meet Paige, an On-Farm Intern Expanding Her Knowledge of the Dairy Industry
Her favorite thing about dairy farming: I like the involvement that dairy farmers have with their cows and making sure they have a quality life to efficiently produce milk.
Paige Abruzzese has been expanding her knowledge and experiences in the dairy industry during her summer internship at Musser Run Jerseys in McVeytown, Pennsylvania.
As a rising senior at the University of Tennessee studying animal science, Paige has some initial experience with agriculture. She spent a summer helping with milking on a dairy farm and wanted to further explore career opportunities in the industry. She found the on-farm internship by browsing through summer jobs online.
“This internship was super appealing to me,” Paige shares. “It can be difficult to find a farm that is looking for summer help and get in contact with them. The opportunity to be connected with a farm that is willing to teach me everything was very exciting.”
Meet Isabella, an On-Farm Intern Who’s Strengthening Her Breeding Skills While Learning Herd Management
Her favorite thing about dairy farming: I love how rewarding working in the dairy industry is.
Isabella Johnson started working in the dairy industry in high school, leading her towards her decision to attend Delaware Valley University where she studies Dairy Science. As a rising senior, she has had opportunities to explore her interests within dairy farming. She spent a previous summer breeding cows throughout the Northeastern states. Looking towards graduation, she was searching for an internship that would help her strengthen those skills and learn how to expand her knowledge for herd management. With those goals in mind, Isabella decided to complete an on-farm internship at Schrack Farms in Loganton, Pennsylvania this summer.
“I think I was paired with this farm because I wanted to experience a larger herd size than I was used to,” Isabella said. “I wanted a lot of herd management experience, which is what I spend my days doing here.”
Isabella has taken an interest in the reproduction side of management, and the farm has allowed her to manage all breeding for the summer. Every morning, she makes sort lists for the milk cows for breeding, health checks, and shots. Depending on the day, she will follow up with the cows she programmed, dry off cows, give shots, breed, or assist with vet check.