Darcy Heltzel grew up on her family’s 120-cow dairy, Piney Mar Farm, in Martinsburg, PA. Her responsibilities on the family farm included feeding calves and milking cows. While she enjoys caring for animals, she discovered an interest in food science and is a rising sophomore studying food science at the Iowa State University.
“I knew that I really liked dairy and animals, but I didn’t really want to be a vet. I was trying to take a different avenue and still be true to my background and passions for the dairy industry. I thought food science really fit that well,” Darcy shared.
To explore food science a bit further and gain real-world experience, Darcy decided to complete a Dairy Processing Internship.
“I’ve seen a need for people in the food science realm to have a background in agriculture because they’re working directly with all the products that farmers are working so hard to make. If you don’t have someone that understands where farmers are coming from, sometimes their story gets a little bit lost,” Darcy said. “I thought this internship would be a great way to get started. I thought it could give me a diverse background and allow me to build off what I already knew and go into something a little bit different.”
Darcy completed her internship at Vale Wood Farms in Loretto, PA, which is not far from her hometown. This experience allowed her to see the farm side, but also spend the bulk of her time in their dairy processing facilities. Darcy worked on general projects throughout the summer. She updated GMP and sanitary trainings as well as conducted sanitary transport training with the delivery drivers.
“Food safety is really important and sometimes when you’re working in the plant all the time, a lot of things fall through the cracks. It is an important role for me to keep reminding people about the food safety measures they have in place,” she added. “Not everyone would find this fun or interesting, but I enjoy talking to people and I enjoy doing the SOPs. I’ve been following along and writing them to enhance my understanding. I think that will be important in my future.”
Vale Wood Farms creates several dairy products in their processing facility, including a new cold brew coffee drink, ice cream, chocolate milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and dips. When talking about her favorite memory of the summer, Darcy reflects on her personal growth and ability to navigate different work environments.
“I’ve grown a lot this summer just being able to advocate for myself, but also adjusting to more of an actual work schedule. Being on the farm that your family owns, you just help wherever it’s necessary without a set schedule. This internship has been an adjustment for me by showing up at the same time every day,” she shared.
As she looks to the future, the internship helped solidify that Darcy definitely wants to pursue a career in food science with a connection to agriculture and dairy farming.
“I’ve known that I really like dairy, but this has really solidified that. I think dairy foods are one of the most interesting aspects of food science. There are a lot of regulations around it, but I that’s really neat that the milk that we get and the dairy products we buy are some of the safest foods out there,” she added. “That has been cool to see firsthand. I definitely foresee myself staying in the dairy industry within food science, but I also have some animal science background, so I would be interested in exploring that, too.”
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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.