This summer, we have 8 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 internships each summer.
Read their stories and view highlights from their summer!
Meet Allison, an On-Farm Intern Gaining Essential Skills as a Future Veterinarian
The quote she lives by: “You can have the best grades and you can have a 4.0, but if you can’t apply it to real life, then it’s not going to help you much at all. Getting the experience definitely helps you. I live by the quote, get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Her favorite day of the week: “I love every Monday. Mondays are my busiest day, but they’re my favorite day because in the afternoon we have vet checks. The vet comes out and we do vet checks on all the cows. So, I get to help with that. She’s been showing me how to read the ultrasound machine and then I give the hormone shots that the cows need.”
Meet Jessica, an On-Farm Intern Who’s Exploring Her Passion for Herd Management on 700-Cow Dairy
Her favorite part of the experience so far – treating cows: “Growing up I always knew that I wanted to work with cows. Cows are what I love. One thing that I’ve enjoyed [during the on-farm internship] is seeing the cows we have treated get better.”
Why broadening your experience matters: “There are all types of farms. Just having one experience on one size farm doesn’t really get you the whole experience of what everyone else is going through in the dairy industry.”
Meet Emma, an On-Farm Intern Who Is Honing Her Breeding Skills and Gaining Experience on Larger Dairy Farm
Emma’s goal for the summer: “I wanted [an experience] that was going to push me out of my comfort zone, and I had never been on a big dairy before. I knew I wanted to intern on a large-scale dairy farm. I am definitely humbled by how much I didn’t know from working here and that’s exactly what I wanted.”
Her encouragement for others: “A lot of whether or not you like your internship is how much you put into it. If you’re going to do this, do it with your whole heart. Take away as much as you can, and even if you don’t like it, any experience is a good experience. I have really liked this. It has definitely changed my life for the better.”