CentralStar Cooperative, serving dairy and beef producers in the upper Midwest, will host nine interns, this year, in their genetics, laboratory, and research and development business units.
Six students will join the genetics and artificial-insemination (A.I.) team as A.I. Specialist Interns. Averie Sieverding, Bellevue, Iowa, is a junior at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, majoring in animal science with a minor in business. Sieverding comes from a fifth-generation crop and cattle farm. Her passion for large animals and reproduction started young. Today, she raises beef cattle with her sister, utilizing both embryo transfer and A.I.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, Wis., is the school of choice for Austin Rider, who’s a junior majoring in dairy science. He grew up on a family hobby farm in Sauk City, Wis., showing dairy cattle at the state, national, and world levels. Alyssa Derks was raised on a 60-cow, tie-stall dairy farm in Cadott, Wis. She attends Northeast Iowa Community College, Calmar, Iowa, pursuing a degree in agricultural business. Taylor Mulder, Fremont, Mich., is a junior studying animal science at Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich. Her agriculture background includes growing up on a cow-calf operation, showing pigs, and overall involvement in FFA.
Jake Baumgartner, Genoa, Wis., is the fifth generation to continue farming, and he takes great pride in that. Baumgartner attends Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Fennimore, Wis., for agribusiness science and technology with an emphasis on animal science. As a student at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Sydney Schroeder, Lancaster, Wis., is also studying agribusiness science and technology with an emphasis in animal science. She’s involved in The F.A.R.M. Club, Professional Agricultural Students, Community Action and Public Safety Club, the livestock-judging team, and student senate. Schroeder grew up working with her uncle and grandpa on the family’s dairy farm, Pitzen Family Farms, Dickeyville, Wis. She was involved in FFA, raising her own swine, beef, and lambs, as well as serving as an officer and competing on the livestock- and soils-judging teams. Schroeder serves her community on the local fire department and with emergency medical services.
CentralStar’s Kaukauna, Wis., laboratory looks forward to welcoming Maddie Smith, this summer, as their laboratory intern. Smith says her life revolves around agriculture. She grew up on her family dairy farm in Bonduel, Wis., which has been in the family for four generations. Some of her passions include showing dairy cattle, horses, pigs, poultry, and rabbits at the county fair. Smith is currently attending St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wis., for a degree in organismal biology; she wants to be an animal geneticist.
The research and development business unit at CentralStar foresees and studies opportunities for helping dairy cattle be healthier and more productive. Two interns will join the research group this summer.
Growing up in Mason, Mich., Irene Nielsen was involved in 4-H, showing dairy and beef cattle, as well as lambs. Dairy cattle have always been a primary interest of hers, and she developed a small herd of registered Holsteins she shows on a state and national level. Nielsen attends Iowa State University with a dairy-science major and minors in public relations and international agriculture. She’s involved with the Dairy Science Club, Honors Program, undergraduate research, An-Cy Guide Program, and the Center for Food Security and Public Health.
Evan Ma, Dublin, Ohio, is a sophomore at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, pursuing a Bachelor’s in animal science with a minor in computer science. Ma says, “I’m excited to work with dairy cows, because I love everything dairy, and I think they’re generally great to work with. I also enjoy molecular biology, so I’m really excited to get to know everyone I’ll be working with this summer!”
CentralStar’s goal of enhancing producer profitability through integrated services is fulfilled by incorporating an array of products and services critical to dairy-and-beef-farm prosperity. CentralStar’s product and service offerings include Accelerated Genetics, GenerVations and Select Sires genetics; extensive artificial-insemination (A.I.) technician service; genetic, reproduction, and dairy-records consultation; DHI services; diagnostic testing; herd-management products; research and development; and more. CentralStar’s administration and warehouse facilities are located in Lansing, Mich., and Waupun, Wis., with laboratories in Grand Ledge, Mich., and Kaukauna, Wis. The cooperative serves dairy and beef producers throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana, with additional DHI territory in various surrounding states. For more information, visit CentralStar Cooperative Inc. at www.mycentralstar.com
