Page 28 - BCHNews-122023-Web

28 WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2023
News from Lakeland College
Meet the 2023-2024 Student Managed Farm Team!
Lakeland College Student Managed Farm (SMF) – Powered by New Holland, started in the Crop technology program in 1990. It has since expanded beyond crop technology to also include six SMF units related to the animal science technology majors: beef, dairy, equine, bison and livestock. The programs are based at Lakeland’s Vermilion campus in eastern Alberta.
Dairy SMF unit is a hands-on student-centered learning course, where students work as a team to manage the college’s dairy operation. Students are put in real world situations, growing their critical thinking skills while learning by doing.
This year, the dairy SMF team has nine students, one advisor and a barn herdsperson. Some goals this year are to further understand the Dairy Learning Centre’s technology, which includes a DeLaval VMS, Lely Vector feeding system and a DeLaval calf feeder with Calf Cloud; implement the new Sensehub activity and rumination collars for the fresh and parlour cow groups (thanks to the WestGen Endowment Fund) and attend the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in March 2024 to make industry connections.
Every year the SMF faces the challenges that arise with a real working dairy operation and the team strives to be economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Working with the other SMF units (commercial beef, purebred beef, crops, equine, and bison), the teams must communicate, plan and work together to make the entire Lakeland College farm viable, both functionally and operationally. The SMF is truly one of Lakeland’s greatest assets and is one of the main reasons many students travel from across the country and around the world to attend.
To learn more, visit lakelandcollege.ca
This year’s enthusiastic Student Managed Farm team!
Cassidy Porteous, ON: I come from a century dairy and cash crop operation just south of Ottawa. As Finance Coordinator, I hope to find ways to implement more economically efficient practices on my home farm and in my future work in the agriculture industry. I am also excited to gain a deeper understanding of diagnosis and treatments as well as gain more knowledge on feeding dairy animals for more effective gain. Through my efforts at Lakeland College, I am striving to become the most competent individual I can, to continue driving our farm’s growth and success. After finishing school, I plan to work full-time, ideally with dairy cattle genetics through a company such as EastGen, Select Sires, or ST Genetics, before coming home to continue the legacy of my family farm.
Kasja Bowman, Linwood, ON: I came to Lakeland College for a more hands on college experience. My position this year is Udder Health and Production Coordinator. What I’m most excited this year to learn is more preventive methods in mastitis and overall udder health as well as learning how nutrition plays such a vital role in increasing milk production. After college I will be continuing my education at the University of Saskatchewan next fall to pursue a bachelor’s in animal science.
Stephanie Messerli, Tyndall, MB: I come from a dairy and cash crop operation, and I chose to come to Lakeland College for the dairy program as it is the only college with a program really like it in Canada. I heard about Lakeland in a dairy conference about 10 years ago and ever since then I was dead set on
attending. As Calf Management Coordinator, I am excited to try new techniques to promote gut health in the calves here and I am hoping to learn more about feed management, and different management skills related to calves. After Lakeland, I am hoping to attend the University of Manitoba to obtain my bachelor’s degree in animal science, then hope to work as a dairy nutritionist.
Colten McAvoy, Star City, SK: I grew up on a grain and dairy farm and came to Lakeland College to further my knowledge about the dairy industry overall while working with the SMF team, taking a hands-on approach to learning. My position is Transition Cow and Range and Forage Coordinator. I want to focus on keeping metabolic disorders related to transition cows within industry standard to set them up for successful lactations. I want to learn more about managing pastures to benefit both the pastures and grazing animals. I want to develop a better understanding of nutrition, animal health, and develop more skills I can utilize in my future. After school I plan to return to the family farm.
Nicole Elliker, St. Mary’s ON: While I come from a hobby farm, my passion for the dairy industry started by helping at my family’s dairy and working for dairy farms in the area. I am this years Mixed Farm/Records/SOPs Coordinator. I decided to come to Lakeland College because of the hands-on learning it provides, as well as the specific dairy major program within Animal Science. I am most excited this year to expand my knowledge in the dairy industry and learn more practical
skills in the barn. After school I hope to have a clearer understanding of where I want to work within the agriculture industry, whether it be in dairy or another agricultural discipline.
Rebecca DeJong, Jarvis, ON: I grew up on a broiler farm, but found my passion for the dairy industry about five years ago. I began working on various dairy farms and finding opportunities to learn and be more involved in the industry. The Student Managed Farm is what drew me to Lakeland College as it will give me practical experience managing a dairy. I am honoured to be the General Manager of the 2023/24 Dairy SMF Unit. I look forward to improving my leadership abilities, making industry connections and attending the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in March. I hope to learn more about treating and managing different transition cow issues, as well as improving on my breeding skills. After convocation, I would love to use what I’ve learned at Lakeland on other farms in Ontario, gaining more experience with herd management.
Jaymie Bysterveld, Osler, SK: This year I am the Herd Health Coordinator; I watch the overall health of the lactating cows in our dairy barn. I chose to come to Lakeland College because of the Student Managed Farm. I thought that the farm would be the best way for me to learn more hands-on about dairy and expand my knowledge on all aspects of dairy. I am excited to work as a team with my classmates, try new things and find what part of dairy farming I work best in. After school I hope to find a herdsman position somewhere near my hometown
or work for a company that I can go farm to farm and learn other farmers’ points of view on dairy farming.
Jack Link, Winchester, ON: I heard about Lakeland while looking for schools to get a better knowledge about dairy and industry. I also felt it would be an amazing experience to see what the industry is like out west. My role this year in the SMF team is Feed Management. This year I am most excited about getting to know the entire SMF team and all of the opportunities that Lakeland brings to me. With my position I want to learn the most cost-effective ways of feeding while still getting high production. After my time at Lakeland, I am planning on bringing the dairy back home, since Lincrest Farms was dispersed in 2017. I have a passion for the industry, and I want to pursue it in any way possible.
Gelsey Bikker, Barrhead, AB: As a kid, looking up to my older siblings, helping them on the family farm and hearing about their good memories of Lakeland, gave me the dream of attending Lakeland College. Now in my second year of AST Dairy major in Lakeland, my position is Public Relations. I am very excited to work in the dairy barn with my friends, making fun and exciting posts for my position on the dairy SMF’s Instagram and Facebook page. I plan to learn more about managing a dairy farm this year, focusing on treating metabolic disorders, calf diseases, and hoof health. Following graduation, I plan to work on other dairy farms in Canada or the Netherlands to advance my learning from their knowledge and experience.
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