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. The Dairy Excellence Foundation, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association provide $3,000 grants to support the on-farm internship program each summer.
“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.”
Musser Run Jerseys in McVeytown Pennsylvania is about two hours from Paige’s hometown. As an intern, Paige spends time learning as much as she can throughout the day. She works closely with the herd manager, assisting with the daily tasks required on the farm. She helps with morning milkings, sorting, calf feedings, and overall maintenance. Her favorite skill to learn so far has been operating the farm’s skid loader.
“It feels great knowing they trust me to drive their equipment, and it has been fun learning to drive something I never pictured myself doing,” she added.
On top of her daily responsibilities, each intern completes their own research project throughout the summer. Paige has chosen to work on the mastitis response on the farm. She has been learning how to test and culture milk samples from cows.
“I have never done anything like this before,” Paige shares. “I am glad to try things I learned about in the classroom.”
Based off the response of the cultures, the farm determines a treatment method moving forward. Paige is now working on creating standard operating procedures following the farm’s approach for handling mastitic cows.
By broadening her skillset and applying concepts she learned about in the classroom, this summer solidified that she is looking for a future on the farm. Paige is now specifically interested in becoming a herd manager on a dairy operation.
“It’s exciting to know that this work is something I would enjoy full time,” Paige shares. “I am happy to finish my last semester in Tennessee knowing that I like what I’m studying and have real experiences on the farm.”
The Dairy Excellence Foundation, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association provide $3,000 grants to support the on-farm internship program each summer. Learn more.
