The Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium, where students are able to obtain hands-on experiences in large-herd dairy management, recently completed its fourth summer session. The six-week program, which combines classroom instruction with visits to dairies where students can put into practice what they learn in the classroom, surpassed its attendance from last year with 52 students from 13 universities.

Junior, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Dairy Sire Marketing Intern with Select Sires Based in Plain City, Ohio Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I'm obtaining a dairy science major with a minor in horticulture. Q. What is your agricultural background? I grew up on a registered Holstein farm, Future-Visions Holsteins, in Paris, Tennessee. I was involved with our farm from the day I could walk. As I got older, my responsibilities increased. While growing up on the farm, our family had a small show string that I managed, and we competed at local and state levels. For most of middle school and all of high school years, I was actively involved in 4-H and FFA, where I competed in judging contests at state and national levels.

Age: Tim: 48, most days I feel older. Mark: 45, I look younger for age, but I feel older until I’ve had my first Mountain Dew of the day. Location: Mount Horeb, Wisconsin Our dairy’s history: Our father bought the present farm in 1960, and he married our mother, Jeanne, in 1961. They bought their first Registered Holsteins in the mid-1960s and started the Kellercrest prefix. Today the second generation is running the farm with Tim and Sandy Keller and children, Andrew and Kimberly, along with Tim’s brother, Mark, and his wife, Kareen. We, Tim and Mark, bought the farm in 1999, modernizing and expanding to the present 320 milk cows.

Senior, University of Wisconsin - Platteville Sales and Service Intern with Accelerated Genetics Based in south and central Wisconsin Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I'm studying animal science with a dairy emphasis and getting a minor in agribusiness. Q. What is your agricultural background? When I was a young lad on our family farmette, we used to board horses but got out of it due to other complications. During middle school I worked for a beef farmer during the summer, throwing bales and picking pumpkins in the fall. At the beginning of my junior year of high school, I started working on a dairy farm where I started out just milking then as they expanded, so did my responsibilities. I have worked there for seven years and now I do everything that needs to be done on a dairy farm to make it run efficiently: from milking to feeding to helping with herd health.

Senior, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Sales and Service Intern with Accelerated Genetics Based in Greenwood, Wisconsin Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I'm majoring in dairy science and have a minor in agronomy. Q. What is your agricultural background? I grew up on a 320 acre farm near Greenwood, Wisconsin (Broken Wheel Farms), where we milked 60 head of registered Holsteins and Jerseys. After the sale of our herd in 2002, I worked for various neighboring farms where I’ve done general farm labor as well as working with my uncle’s cash crop operation. Internship information Q. What will your responsibilities be this summer? I will be doing relief technician work and representing Accelerated Genetics at various functions. Q. What do you hope to have learned by the end of your internship? I hope to have learned excellent time management and customer service skills as well as farming practices that I can take back to my home farm.

Junior, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Communications Intern with Accelerated Genetics Based Baraboo, Wisconsin Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I'm studying agricultural marketing communications. Q. What is your agricultural background? I grew up on a 130 cow Jersey and Holstein farm just west of LaCrescent, Minnesota. Q. What previous internship positions have you held? I was a loan processing intern with Pro Partners. Internship information Q. What will your responsibilities be this summer? My duties include design work, such as making brochures and flyers to send out out to the local community as well as across the state. Q. What do you hope to have learned by the end of your internship? I hope to have a better understanding for design programs as well as a better understanding of working with a diverse group of people. Q. What intrigues you most about Accelerated Genetics? The fact that the person you see come to your farm or the person who sends you a flyer in the mail could be your next door neighbor or someone you know and care about.

Senior, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Service and Sales Intern with Accelerated Genetics Based in southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I'm majoring in dairy science. Q. What is your agricultural background? I grew up working on various dairy farms, including an 850-cow operation. Internship information Q. What will your responsibilities be this summer? I'm serving as a relief technician and assisting with retail sales routes. Q. What do you hope to have learned by the end of your internship? I hope to have learned the ins-and-outs of being a salesman and what works on farms and what doesn’t. Q. What intrigues you most about Accelerated Genetics? The atmosphere: it’s like your one big family and everyone isn’t afraid to help another. Q. What can you do to make a meaningful impact during your internship? I hope I can make an impact by pleasing the customers, but that will also be the most challenging aspect of my internship.

Graduate, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Editorial Intern with Progressive Publishing Based in Jerome, Idaho Background Q. In what area did you pursue a degree? I have a bachelor of science in agricultural and environmental communications and education. Q. What is your agricultural background? I went to the Chicago high school for the Agricultural Sciences and learned to appreciate agriculture and enjoyed it. I continued my agricultural education at the University of Illinois and stuck with it throughout my four years at the university.

Junior, Kansas State University Marketing & Communications Intern with Accelerated Genetics Based in Baraboo, Wisconsin Background Q. In what area are you pursuing a degree? I have a double major in agricultural communications & journalism and animal sciences & industry, with a minor in leadership studies. Q. What is your agricultural background? I grew up on a diversified grain and livestock farm in northwest Indiana. In addition to a commercial hog operation, my younger brother and I showed beef cattle across the country. We then began our own business - RJ Show Cattle, and market a few select club calves each year. Q. What previous internship positions have you held? In 2009, I interned for the K-State Youth Livestock Programs in Manhattan, Kansas. Here I helped plan and execute various youth livestock events, including an overnight camp for high school students, the K-State Animal Sciences Leadership Academy.

Location: Sioux Center, Iowa Age: 36 My dairy’s history: Our dairy was established in the late 1930s by my grandpa. When my dad returned from service in the Navy in the mid-1960s, he took over the operation. Today, my parents are still involved, and my brother and I, along with our wives, own and operate the farm. We milk 400 cows and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. If I wasn’t a dairyman, I would be ... working in the industry doing something, maybe related to genetics. I have been a member of DFA for … 12 years.