Work Experience for Farm Management students includes milking, herd health, calves, and a variety of field work activities such as tillage, planting, and harvest. The students fit and show a string of dairy cattle at the local county fair. The Summer Experience in Farm Management introduces students to the modern farm as a business, which has as its objective the conversion of plants into milk and meat. All students will be asked to work long hours on occasion, but no more so than would normally be expected on a dairy farm. Students work approximately every other weekend.
Weekly meetings update the students about farm activities; a combination of dairy, crops and equine. Extended sessions on relevant topics such as nutrition, reproduction, mastitis management, animal health, and field crops will be held throughout the summer. Instructors include Miner Institute faculty members Katie Ballard, Kurt Cotanch, Heather Dann, Wanda Emerich, Rick Grant, Karen Lassell, and graduate students. The small class size makes it possible to at least partially tailor the program to meet the needs of each student. Students interested in careers in veterinary medicine, farm management, vocational agriculture and agricultural extension have found this program to be particularly useful. Students will have the opportunity to enroll in an Artificial Insemination certification course offered in cooperation with personnel from a bull stud. This optional course will be offered at a minimal cost per student and this may be handled as a payroll deduction throughout the summer.
Each student also becomes involved in an independent study project analyzing an aspect of Miner Institute’s farm management, such as reproduction, nutrition, nutrient management, herd health, and calf management. Each student will work with a faculty member to plan, organize, and summarize the project. At the end of the summer oral and written reports are presented. In past years, projects have dealt with forage quality, dairy records analysis, reproductive management, animal behavior, and manure additives for odor control.
Enrollments, Credits, & Compensation
This program is available to agriculture and life science students in their junior or senior years of study. Students are encouraged to register for college credit at their home institution, and are responsible for making arrangements for credits. This program is designed as a 4-credit course, although other arrangements may be made through the student’s home institution. Each student’s wage for the 13-week semester is $3,000. The students live at Miner Institute where dormitory housing, and breakfast and lunch each weekday are provided at a cost of $300 total for the summer session. The program begins on Monday, May 18, 2009 and ends on Friday, August 14, 2009. Adjustments can be made for students whose classes have not ended by May 18th.
Applicants are required to provide the following:
Please include any experience with field crop or livestock production.
Miner Institute provides equal employment opportunities.
Send completed applications and letters of recommendation to:
Wanda Emerich
Dairy Outreach Coordinator
Miner Institute
PO Box 90
Chazy, New York 12921
518-846-7121 ext 117
518-846-8445 (fax)
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 1, 2009
