Over winter break I had the pleasure of visiting the island of Oʻahu, the third largest island in Hawai’i.  The most interesting and beautiful part of my visit was working with the owners of an off-the-grid 25-acre farm with about ten acres in production.  They grow their food organically and sustainably on this highly diversified agro-ecosystem.  The most popular entrance to the farm entails parking on one side of the river, walking across a narrow foot bridge meant only for nimble feet, and walking a short path to the fields and buildings which mark the center

I came to COLSA looking for direction. I had already spent a year in COLA, undeclared in liberal arts, and a semester trying my hand in CEPS, studying electrical engineering.  As interesting as these subjects were on their own, I did not love them enough to dedicate four years to them. It took a bit of self-reflection, some educational exploration, and suggestions from complete strangers for me to find my way to COLSA, which has since been a definitive part of my life.

Before you can help others, you typically need a base of knowledge to refer to.  I refer to my Advanced Dairy Management II class at the Thompson School, which allows for students with previous experience in Dairy Management classes—or other approved, extensive experience—to evaluate dairy cattle housing, milking equipment, milk quality, record keeping, and herd health along with financial, personnel management, and environmental issues.

At the UNH Fairchild Dairy Barn there are many learning and research opportunities available to students.   Some classes that are offered, with hands-on experience at the barn, are Artificial Insemination, Dairy Cattle Behavior, Dairy Management, and Cooperative Real Education in Agricultural Management (CREAM).  However, today I would like to focus on the research aspects at the barn.  Currently, there are several studies going on at the barn, including research on kelp, rumen lysine, and fertility.