WAUPUN, Wis. — CentralStar Cooperative, serving dairy and beef producers in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana, has hired nine interns for 2022 in their genetics, laboratory, and research and development business units.
Six students, all from different colleges, will join the genetics and artificial-insemination (A.I.) team as A.I. Specialist Interns. Allyson Harbridge, Fond du Lac, Wis., is a junior at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis., majoring in animal science with a certificate in business management for agricultural and life sciences. Harbridge started working with large animals when she was 15. She has a background in livestock sales, milking cows, and working at a veterinary clinic.
Brenton Wolf, Oconto Falls, Wis., is a junior studying dairy science and agricultural business at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, Wis. His love of the dairy industry began when he started showing cattle at the county fair. He’s interested in genetics and reproduction, as well as dairy health and nutrition.
Brett Schoenherr grew up on a beef-cattle and poultry operation in Canton, Iowa. He is currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, Wis., majoring in animal science with a livestock-production emphasis. Schoenherr is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team and the FarmHouse Fraternity.
Emma Duarte, Dighton, Mass., is pursuing a bachelor’s in animal science and an associate’s in agricultural business at the State University of New York at Cobleskill, Cobleskill, N.Y. Her passion for the dairy industry began in high school when she attended Bristol County Agricultural High School and worked on the school’s dairy and livestock farm.
Jayson Heinold was raised on a cattle and row-crop operation in Valparaiso, Ind., He attends Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., studying animal production and agricultural finance.
Savannah Avent is a junior at Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich., majoring in animal science with a minor in business. She grew up in Posen, Mich., on a fifth-generation crop farm with a small beef herd and horses. Avent’s upbringing includes 4-H and FFA; she also completed an independent-study course at Werth Dairy, LLC, Alpena, Mich., with a focus on A.I.
CentralStar’s 2022 Research and Development Intern is Sophie VanderWeele, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., a third-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University. She’s studying chemical engineering and minoring in pharmacology and toxicology. Much of her undergraduate research has been focused on reproductive health and sciences. She’s looking forward to joining the CentralStar team and seeing how she can translate that knowledge to an agricultural and livestock setting.
CentralStar has two milk-and-diagnostic-testing laboratories, one in Kaukauna, Wis., and the other in Grand Ledge, Mich. Ashlee Piskow, Granton, Wis., will intern in the Kaukauna laboratory. She grew up on a 30-cow dairy farm and was an FFA member. Piskow also worked on a 500-cow dairy farm through high school where she completed a youth apprenticeship. Piskow is currently a student at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wis., studying farm-production dairy science.
Emma Rauch, Niles, Mich., will intern at CentralStar’s Grand Ledge laboratory. She grew up showing in 4-H and FFA. Today, she attends Michigan State University studying animal science and minoring in biotechnology. Rauch is involved with the livestock-judging team, Block and Bridle, and Sigma Alpha.
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. For more information, visit CentralStar Cooperative Inc. at www.mycentralstar.com.
— CentralStar Cooperative
