The William H. Miner

Agricultural Research Institute

Education *Advanced Dairy Management*
Our Advanced Dairy Management course is a collaborative effort between Miner Institute and the University of Vermont. The program was started in 2000 and is a 15-credit UVM course taught by Miner Institute faculty and professionals from the dairy industry. Students earn 15 college credits through the University of Vermont while they are with us for the spring semester. The 15 credits are divided into five different classes. The Dairy Cattle Nutrition class is offered by Kurt Cotanch and Heather Dann with additional lectures by Rick Grant. Students learn about forage quality and storage in addition to rumen physiology and metabolism. The class is a combination of lectures and labs which include the Dairy Barn and forage storage areas. The Field Crops course is offered by Eric Young with assistance from Jake Ashline and a few other guest speakers. Topics covered in this class include CAFO planning, forage production, nutrient management, and crop variety selection. The students present weekly agriculture seminars on a variety of topics and are aided by a variety of resources to develop these presentations which are designed to enhance their speaking skills and address areas of interest which may not be covered in class otherwise. For the Dairy Management Practicum portion of the course students have weekly work experience in the Dairy Barn. Additionally students visit area farms and evaluate those farm systems and prepare presentations as if they were consultants for those farms. Students also participate in a variety of seminars at Miner Institute and other places. These field trips away from Miner Institute are important in that some of the highest impact learning comes through the exposure to a bigger, broader view of dairy farming. To round out the busy schedule, the students also work on individual research projects in a variety of areas ranging from 24-hour cow watches to footbaths. The entire research staff is involved in some way with these projects which the students present at the end of the semester. Students embrace the low student-to-staff ratio that this program offers with easy access to many highly qualified experts. Our purpose in this program is to prepare the next generation of farm managers and industry professionals, utilizing the collective resources of Vermont Technical College, Miner Institute and the University of Vermont, coupled with the agricultural industry in the Northeast and beyond. Our product is individuals who are well grounded in animal science, business and communications and who are first and foremost, mature, critical thinkers committed to life-long learning to achieve their personal goals. For more information on the program, contact Wanda Emerich at (518) 846-7121, ext. 117. View a program brochure. 2013 ADM students earn first place award at national Dairy Challenge competition Miner Institute welcomes all students regardless of race, color or ethnic origin to participate in its' programs and scholarship opportunities.
Class of 2013 Back row L to R: Cassie Bromley, Andrew Whitney, Kaitlin Benoit. Front row L to R: Wanda Emerich (dairy outreach coordinator at Miner Institute), Morgen Doane, Melissa Woolpert.
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute 1034 Miner Farm Road, P.O. Box 90 Chazy, NY 12921 phone: 518-846-7121 fax: 518-846-8445