CPSG Reflection Essay
For my practicum project, I worked at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC) at their Clarksville facility. This facility spans 925 acres and is comprised of a research facility as well as home to the University’s dairy cattle research herds. I worked under Dr. Sarah Potts who is a researcher within the Extension program and a University of Maryland graduate school alum. The overall mission of CMREC is to conduct research projects related to dairy and animal science in conjunction with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UMD. The site also works to engage with students within the University and expose them to the various facets of plant and animal agriculture.
I found my Practicum site by looking for job listings on the AGNR and animal science-specific LISTSERVs. These email lists provide a vast array of job and internship opportunities, scholarship applications, and general information and updates related to the college. After finding that CMREC was looking for a student to assist in a feeding study, I emailed my now supervisor to set up a time to meet and discuss the project. By working diligently and building strong personal connections at the farm over the course of the fall 2021 semester, I was able to secure a position working on a different study for this coming summer. For future SGC students looking to work at CMREC or a similar facility, I would recommend emailing researchers whose work interests you and who works on site. Overall working at CMREC has been a great experience for me, and I would definitely recommend it to others. Specifically for animal science majors, this was a great opportunity to gain more hands-on experience with large animals while working with professionals within the agricultural industry.
The main project I was involved in revolved around quantifying feed efficiency in dairy cattle. The study involved measuring both feed intake and feed refused daily. Over the course of the study, each cow was offered all 3 triticale treatment feed groups (NLOW, NMED, and NHIGH) as well as a control diet. During a typical day working at the dairy facility, I aided in collecting excess uneaten feed, fed the cows their portioned designated food ration, collected feed/ forage samples, and observed the cows for any abnormal behaviors. This was all done during a set period of time in the morning to maintain a consistent feeding schedule. The feed was delivered based on the amount of feed leftover from the day before, as to limit waste. Feed was collected and delivered using a Calan data ranger feed mixer and amounts were recorded daily. Leftover feed from the day prior was vacuumed from each feed stall. Since this present study, unfortunately, came to a halt about 3/4th of the way through due to a lack of supplies I am now working on a new research project that revolves around rotational grazing methods. The work I am now doing for that mainly falls under two categories- herd maintenance and fecal sample collection, and forage sample collection. I aid in weighing treatment and control cows, collecting fecal samples internally, and recording body condition scores. During the off weeks of these tasks, I aid in collecting multiple forage and soil samples in each paddock including the control group to assess quality. Additionally, every week I was there, I herded cows into designated grazing or control pastures, fed cows a mineral mix, and performed any maintenance on fencing.
By working at CMREC I learned a lot about the science and environmentalism behind the dairy industry. Specifically, working on a dairy farm has opened my eyes to the world of animal agriculture and its usually negative impact on the environment. Even with the Clarksville facility at CMREC being a fairly small farm as compared to large-scale farms and corporations within the dairy industry, I was able to see how these animals can negatively affect the environment through excess fecal matter, water use, and methane output. I think that overall CMREC does a good job at lessening their environmental footprint. I have seen them firsthand mitigate any fecal runoff and reuse water when possible. They also actively work to avoid overgrazing in pastures to maintain soil biodiversity and maintain levels of carbon sequestration within the soil. This concept was taught in the SCG Colloquium and has really stuck with me as I analyze the environmental impacts of animal agriculture.
Through working at this facility, I have also learned a lot about myself and my personal goals for the future. I have learned a lot about the dairy industry and the skills it takes to work on a functioning farm. Though working in a more labor-intensive position I now value the individuals who work in animal care and management to a greater extent. Learning more about cattle management has taught me a lot about the field that I otherwise would not have been able to gain from a more classroom-based setting. Overall, this experience was really rewarding as it allowed me to learn more about large animal research while allowing me to gain valuable hands-on experience with dairy cows. Throughout this process I have grown personally as well, becoming more confident in myself and my future career goals and aspirations. I have grown to be more confident working in agriculture, which tends to be a mostly male-dominated field. Coming into this job I knew I wanted to attend graduate school and pursue a career in research, but now I know I want to focus more specifically on cattle metabolism or nutrition. I believe that the courses within the animal science, as well as the Scholars curriculum here at UMD, have provided me with a great breadth of knowledge with a lot of it being applicable to this job. Animal physiology (ANSC212) and CPSG200 specifically were both courses that benefitted me throughout my time working on the farm.