We are proud to announce our 2019 All West/Select Sires Summer Intern, Luke Wolfisberg! Luke will be joining us in late May from Washington State University, where he is earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural & Food Systems Economics while maintaining an impressive grade point average.
Although Luke enjoys the economics of agriculture most, he is no stranger to the dairy industry, having grown up on his own family farm, Edelweiss Dairy. He also has experience working for a wide variety of dairy operations in the Pacific Northwest.
“I have had exposure to all types of dairy farms, from Laird’s 50 cow herd of Brown Swiss that require close management, to Van Dyk’s mixed herd of 1000 milking cows and hundreds of acres of corn and grass, to the Polinder family farm, world famous for their high genomic “Ronelee” herd, and lastly my family’s dairy that uses a New Zealand-style intensive rotational grazing system. On all these farms I have performed various farm tasks and learned the value of genetics and pedigrees. From helping develop rations and analyzing commodity pricing, to selection of sale heifers and careful management of high genomic females, I know what it takes to be successful in the changing economic environment that dairy farmers are facing today,” Luke shared.
Besides his on-farm experience, Luke cherishes his time spent actively participating in 4-H and FFA when he judged cattle on both local and national levels, learned to fit cattle, and showed his own livestock. Today, Luke still spends his spare time assisting other at shows when possible. “This past year I clipped 35 head for my county fair, and another dozen for the Western National Guernsey show, increasing my knowledge in fitting cows and the show ring in general.”
Luke is coming to us with an impressive resume of skills and experiences already, however there are still a few things he hopes to gain from his summer spent in All West Territory. “I hope to gain knowledge in all areas of the dairy industry, specifically the A.I. sector. I hope to advance my communication skills with farmers and industry professionals, and learn to work as a team within a company. I would like to expand my customer service abilities through working with sales representatives and customers. Lastly, I hope to have a deep understanding for technological systems like CowManager so that I can be a better advocate for agriculture and speak about the innovations that the dairy industry has developed.”
We are certain that Luke’s wide variety of dairy industry experience, strong work ethic, positive attitude, and willingness to learn make him a great addition to our team! Although Luke will be spending much of his time in his home state of Washington during his internship experience, he will also be traveling throughout All West Territory. Be sure to say hello when he visits your dairy or community!
Our internship committee had a very tough decision to make this year, with more applicants than ever before who applied from six states across the nation and eight highly reputable universities. We thank all who applied and encourage students to apply in winter 2019 to be considered as our intern for 2020! To learn more about our internship program, please visit our internship page
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