Plum Thicket Farms

Internship

Plum Thicket Farms is looking for two interns for the spring and summer 2023. We will begin calving heifers in early April with the majority of the cows calving from the middle of April into May. We are a diversified operation, running 240 cows and farming 2300 acres. Numbers are down because of the severe drought we are experiencing. The interns will be expected to help with night calving, barn chores, pairing cattle, moving pairs, processing baby calves as they are born and whatever else comes during the busiest of times.
Because we have a rotational grazing system, the interns will learn to evaluate pasture condition, become good at identifying native grasses and understand the principles of range management.

The students will also become familiar with no-till farming and learn what the issues are in planning crop rotations as well as fertilization and chemical programs.

The interns will be expected to take part in the weekly management meetings and will be encouraged to join the discussions. Duties will include helping with calving and breeding, fixing fence, building high tensile fence, moving cattle, chute work, sprayer support and harvest support. If they don’t know how to ride, they will by the end of the summer.

Continuing education is very important to us and we try to participate in as many opportunities as possible. The students will attend all the meetings we do. The hours are long but I believe that we can offer the students a valuable adjunct to their education.

Applications must be received by January 15 for the 2023 season. Telephone Interviews will be conducted. Interviews will be held in January and intern selection will be made by February tenth. There is no formal application form. Please submit your resume', three letters of reference including contact information, and a letter that describes your background, your family, your work experience, what your long-term plans are, and what you hope to gain from the internship. Tell us what your expectations are and what your passions are. Please describe your strengths and what weaknesses you would like to address. How do you cope with challenges? Are you comfortable tying into something you free to add anything else that will help us understand who you are.have never done before? Do you have any mechanical ability? Have you operated farm equipment?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Ethan Gutz. I had the opportunity to do a summer internship with Nancy, Rex, and Pat over the summer of 2022. I am majoring in Agricultural Systems Technology and Ag. Business Management at the University of Missouri.

I had very limited experience with cattle prior to my internship. Nancy, Rex, and Pat were more than happy to answer questions and teach me as much as possible. Over the summer I was able to learn many skills to overcome daily problems that arose on a ranch. Some of these skills included branding, vaccinating, fence maintenance, and using low stress cattle handling techniques to move cattle. The Petersons did an amazing job making sure we understood the bigger picture as well. We were exposed to several management strategies including rotational grazing schedules, vaccination schedules, and breeding strategies. This internship was a great place to learn about beef production.

I was more familiar with row crop production prior to my internship. Pat exposed me to a totally new way of thinking about crop production. I learned a ton about soil health over the summer and different strategies to improve it. I also learned more about the benefits and challenges associated with no till farming. I was exposed to cover crops for the first time.

Overall, I would highly recommend this internship to students. I am so grateful for the opportunity Rex, Nancy, and Pat provided last summer.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Howdy, my name is Kate Thompson. I spent my childhood on a beef cattle feedlot in Australia and consequently had some experience with cattle, but I had been away from direct cattle production since 2011 when my family lost our business and moved to the U.S. I felt like I was too far removed from the cattle industry to be relevant until I spent Summer of 2022 at Plum Thicket Farms—one of the best summers of my life.

The first week took some adjusting as a big part of ranching is a certain lifestyle. Ethan, the other intern, and I stayed with Nancy and Rex and had almost every meal with them. After that week, I had gotten into a routine and absolutely loved the remainder of my summer. Nan and Rex asked us what we wanted to gain from the internship, which made for a very customizable learning experience for the both of us. It was such a blessing to work at Plum Thicket Farms because everyone is truly dedicated to learning at every opportunity. We attended four different educational events over the summer covering topics from the cattle industry and animal health to pasture management and profitability.

There are so many ways I have grown this summer—some of which I will inevitably leave out. Low stress cattle handling was a big focus in many of our moves and because of that, I became a decent rider—in fact moving cattle was what I looked forward to most. I learned how to monitor plant health and manage pastures by creating a grazing plan. I gained the ability to identify sickness in cattle and properly treat them. I learned about heat synchronization, artificial insemination, body condition scoring and its impact on breed up, fly control practices, age segregation for scours prevention, semen testing, preg-checking, vaccination programs, and so much more. In addition to refining my thought process and decision making skills, I also became proficient in tangible skills such as backing a trailer and patching a tire. It has been an incredible summer—one I would recommend to anyone interested in ranching, cattle, and range management.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I did an internship with Plum Thicket Farms in the summer of 2021. I am studying Rangeland Management with an option in livestock and ecology at Chadron State. I come from around Grand Island, NE and did not have a ton of livestock experience when I started my internship; most of my experience had been with training horses. I was able to bring one of my horses up and by the end of the summer my horse and I gained the ability to work cows effectively (at least I thought so).

The Petersons really emphasize the importance of low stress handling their herd, and the other intern and I gained a lot of experience with that. They also are very aware of land management and try to do their best to manage the land in a way that benefits not only the cattle, but also the plants. They also manage their croplands to try to reduce inputs by no-tilling and crop rotations. Some of these crops are then used as forage or feed for the cattle.

The other intern and I gained a lot of hands-on experience from calving to fencing, and from moving cattle to working on random projects. The Petersons are good at explaining why management of cattle and pastures are done the way they are and the benefits of doing things the way they do them. They enjoy answering any questions that come up and make sure that the interns have a chance to learn things that they want too as well.

Thanks for all the time you spent teaching us.

Rebekah Pobanz

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Mikayla Waite and I am a senior at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln studying Food Animal Production and Management as an Animal Science major. I am originally from Norfolk, NE and began my college studies with little to no experience in livestock handling or production. I knew from a young age that I had a passion for the agriculture industry primarily with an interest in beef cattle. I interned for Plum Thicket Farms during the summer of 2020 and arrived within the first week of May.

During my internship, I had the privilege of working with another intern to collaborate with on all the aspects of the operation that we were exposed to. Calving consisted of collecting birth weights by using a hoof circumference tape, treating the umbilical cord and checking for hernias, vaccinating, tagging, banding bulls, and branding. We also had the opportunity to visit a more traditional Sandhills ranch and participate in their rope and drag branding. Other characteristics we focused on at calving was the cow’s disposition as well as calving ease and udder scoring for their record system. Bottle calves were grafted to new cows and we also learned how to tube calves. I had a chance to see first-hand what happens to a calf when it becomes hypothermic and how to treat it along with observing overall herd health.

Plum Thicket Farms dedicates a lot of their time to range management practices by thinking of new ways to improve soil structure and utilizing pasture rotations. They also mob graze annual forages where we were in charge of maintaining two herds on two separate pieces of oats and peas. We were responsible for dividing the pieces into paddocks by setting up temporary electric fences, moving portable stock tanks along the water line, and moving cattle to the next paddock. Before moving cows to pasture, we did a lot of fencing; from barbed wire to high tensile and building brace posts. Moving and working cows was always done on horseback and in doing so, I learned how to pair and sort off cow-calf pairs all while improving my riding skills.

One of the main goals when working cows is low stress handling. Bobby and I gained an abundance of practice with this while not only moving cows but running them through the chute. This is where we were able to gain a lot of the hands-on experience with implanting steers, inserting and pulling CIDRs for the respective heat synchronization program chosen for the heifers versus cows, and when we began breeding using artificial insemination. I was given the opportunity to pull semen straws from the liquid nitrogen tank, load the AI guns, and even breed a few with assistance.

I applied for this internship with the hopes that I would gain the hands-ocattlen experience needed to increase my confidence and to confirm my enthusiasm to pursue life as a rancher. There are definitely more learning experiences that I can’t squeeze into this summary, but the work is worth it. My two biggest takeaways from this experience are being able to strengthen a cattle herd through genetic selection and working alongside the other intern to complete daily tasks and to respect one another’s thoughts and ideas. It allowed us to be more efficient and results in more productive days.

I am forever thankful for Nan, Rex, Pat, and Jess for giving me this wonderful opportunity!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Joe Bickel and I'm from Frankenmuth, Michigan. I studied at Michigan State University for a degree in agricultural operations. In the summer of 2019 I was one of the interns at Plum Thicket Farms. The internship was one of the most formative experiences in my life. I come from a background with cattle trucking, feedlot, and dairy cattle so the experience on a western cow calf operation was a completely eye opening experience. They will teach necessary skills to run a cattle operation day to day such as repairing and building fence, doctoring cattle, and handling cattle. Besides those skills they will teach you the importance of stewardship for the cattle you care for and the land you farm. Not only will they teach you new ways of managing cattle they will also teach you about no-till farming. Pat's crop system was completely new to me but it was a valuable education in a different way of farming. Since I do not have parents that are cattle producers or farmers I will be wanting to start my own herd from scratch. With the lessons that Nan, Rex, Pat, and Jess have taught I can piece together ways that they use to manage cattle and what will work in my situation. Overall my experience was great at plum thicket. There are days that you will be freezing and wet there will also be days that you will be worn and just want to sleep but the hard work is well worth everything you will learn through the internship.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Mackenzie Lolkema and I am a senior in the Animal Science Management program at Washington State University. While I don’t have a background in livestock, I have always wanted a career in it. I applied for this internship, hoping I would better understand how a ranch works and I left at the end of the summer with valuable hands-on experience and memories.

Over the summer, I was able to go beyond the textbook and learn about different challenges that might arise on a ranch and how there are more solutions than just the ‘textbook’ solution. I learned how to tag and doctor calves, vaccinate, set up temporary fences, and how important a good record system is. I tubed calves, milked cows, implanted steers, and handled most of the semen straws. I also got to visit other ranches and participated in their brandings. Before coming to Plum Thicket Farms, I had only been on a horse a couple of times and had never moved cows before. By the end of the summer, I had experienced multiple cattle drives and calf-pairings on horseback.

During the breeding season, Nan explained to me how she chose bulls for the herd and what her EPD criteria was. Later in the summer we went out and she explained what she looks for in calves and cows, allowing me to better appreciate the importance of EPDs. I also learned about pasture management and mob grazing and how important it is to rotate and read pasture. We went out and looked at different pastures and saw how weather and grazing pressure can affect the pasture quality. Nan explained how she would adjust to those variables in order to keep the pasture quality high.

In the three months I was there, I gained more practical knowledge than I have in my years at Washington State University. I am very thankful to Nan, Rex, Pat, and Jess for giving me this unique opportunity!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, My name is Devin and I am an Animal Science and Grazing Livestock Systems Major at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. I am originally from a small farm and cow-calf operation south of Lincoln. My experience at Plum Thicket Farms was one of the greatest experiences that I have ever had. I came to Plum Thicket with the expectations of learning how intensive management of a cow herd works in the wide open spaces of the Sandhills of Nebraska. But what I got was one of the greatest learning opportunities I will ever have.

I was exposed to many things when on internship here. I particularly became very fond of the advantages of cattle handling on horseback. One thing that the Petersons' showed me and is probably the largest take away for me was how important it is to create a management system that not only is profitable but take into account your resources and how to sustainably manage the resources given to you. I found the management of records from each individual cow is one of the most essential tools on the ranch. It enabled them to make great advances with genetics in the herd, and these no doubt created a large difference on the bottom line of profitablility on the ranch. I was exposed to many other things while on the ranch that I have taken with me and have used in my classes. I know that many of the practices that I learned from the Petersons' will carry with me into my future career and personal cow herd. The thing that I admire most about the ranch and farming operation is the drive for conservation and improvement of the ground and grass. They do this by practicing several progressive grazing techniques that the interns are exposed to.

The great time that I had at the ranch would not have been complete without the great work environment created by the Petersons. I cannot speak highly enough of them. They made learning from them and the interns a priority every day. I have worked under many bosses in the past and the Petersons' certainly are at the top of the list. They have become a couple of my greatest mentors in my life. All and all, I do believe the internship at Plum Thicket Farms to be one of the greatest ranch internship opportunities in the country and highly recommend for anyone interested in cattle industry to apply.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Tabby Steckler, and I spent the summer before my senior year at Purdue University with the Petersons on Plum Thicket Farms. I grew up on a very diversified small farm that raises beef cattle, dairy heifers, corn, beans, hay, and wheat. Throughout my 3 years at Purdue I have had the chance to work in the dairy and swine industries, so just like the farm I grew up on, I have become a diversified individual. Now, after working with the Petersons, I can add another industry to my handbook.

Throughout my 3 months working in Nebraska, I got to experience calving, vaccinating, implanting, breeding, driving cattle (with a horse), making hay, planting cover crops, and harvesting wheat. When I arrived the second week of May, Plum Thicket was full swing into their calving season. I particularly enjoyed this part of the summer, because I got to spend most of the day with the cows! During this time, I learned about branding, vaccinations, udder scoring, and how to properly handle calves around their mothers. While I was there, we only assisted 3-4 cows with dystocia problems. Nancy works extremely hard to develop moderate framed cattle with exceptional calving easy to ensure that her cows do not have a hard time calving. I also got the chance to work the pairs with a horse many times this summer, and I was amazed at how calm cattle move around a horse.

As the summer went on, we finished the calving season and moved onto the oats and peas. I took an interest in the mob grazing of the oats and peas. I couldn’t believe how important it was to have the right amount of mouths (cattle) on each section in order to have it gazed down to a particular length. The grazing length is important for the regrowth of the plants, and allows the cows to graze the same cover crop several times. The idea of grazing cover crops is one that I hope to take home to my family operation.

While at my internship, we breed 450 cows in a week. Up until this point I only had experience breeding 10 or less at a time. I learned about different synchronization protocols. We used a 14 day cidr and estrotech patches for heat detecting on the heifers. All of the 200 cows received 7 day cidrs and were time A.I. My job during this week was preparing the A.I. guns and pulling semen straws from the semen tank. Before the week of artificial insemination Nan spent a lot of time deciding what bulls she would use to breed to her cows. She showed me her guidelines she used when picking a bull, and explained how important EPDs are in developing a uniform herd.

Over the course of the summer, the Petersons taught me about cover crop, pasture, and cash crop management. One of the Petersons main goals is to increase soil health and fertility, and they manage their land and cattle to do just that. I think the biggest take away from my internship was being able to share my passion with others across the country. I have always wanted to experience working on a western ranch, and I am extremely glad to have been able to spend my summer on Plum Thicket Farms. I want to thank Nan, Rex, and Pat for giving me one of the best experiences I’ve had yet, and it will be one that I will never forget!

Thank you for everything!

Tabby Steckler

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, my name is Anneke Pierce and I was one of the summer of 2015 interns. Although I do not come from a cattle background I figured out relatively young that I have a passion for livestock and pursued a degree in Animal Science. I attended the University of Florida and graduated in the spring of 2015 with a degree in Animal Science.
During my internship I was lucky enough to see almost all of the cow-calf production cycle. From calving to weaning I gained valuable hands on experience such as processing new calves, pulling calves, tubing, dystocia, grafting calves to new cows, herd health management, implanting calves, synchronizing heat cycles, artificially inseminating, utilizing nose blebs, weaning calves on forage cocktails, and more. One skill that I was really able to sharpen was low stress handling of cattle, Nan and Rex really emphasized the importance of low stress handling and are perfect examples of how well a herd can respond. I was also able to learn a great deal about veterinary care by aiding Krista in the treatment of most of the sick or injured cattle in the time I was on the Ranch. The Peterson’s have a great cow herd, from their docile temperament to their amazing uniformity and performance (due to strict standards both phenotypically and genotypically). Looking back, working with the cows of Plum Thicket and their calves was such a joy, challenge, and a learning opportunity that will be forever in my heart.
In addition to the Cow herd, Plum Thicket took on 500 Stockers this past summer. While these steers could be a headache at times, I think Andrea and I took away a lot from being able to work with them all summer. Although the battle with Pink Eye and Foot Rot lasted the time the steers were there, Andrea and I were lucky enough to utilize the situation to further our education. We used that experience to practice setting up low stress doctoring pens, training our eye to see sick animals, doctoring steers, and doing what I think we both loved the most: spending time on horseback. Although we did have the steers graze native pasture, they spent most of their time mob grazing cover crops. Andrea and I were assigned the summer project of managing the steers on the forage cocktails; we were tasked with setting up temporary electric fence and water, deciding how much forage to take off each pasture and deciding when was the proper time rotate, evaluating each pasture for regrowth, and deciding when to return the steers onto previously grazed pieces. I learned so much from Nan and Pat about utilizing cover crops as a tool to your operation, and they even helped spark an interest in continuing my education to learn about grazing forage management and production. A lot of time was spent with these steers and I think they provided some of the most valuable learning experiences of the summer!

The truth is I can’t fit all the experience I’ve gained into this short summary about this summer, but I will say it was truly a privilege to be an Intern for a place that is so invested in the future of Agriculture. From their conscientious utilization and stewardship of the land, dedication to the development of their cow herd, and their passion developing future leaders in the cattle industry, Plum Thicket and the Peterson family are truly someone to look up to in the cattle industry.

Thank you Rex, Nan, Pat, and Krista for an unforgettable learning experience!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Andrea Beck, and I am a student at South Dakota State University pursuing a double major in Range Science and Animal Science. I was raised on an Iowa cow/calf operation, but I have always wanted the experience of legitimate ranching out on the western range. Plum Thicket may not be the most traditional ranch, but it instead has an innovative mindset that is much needed in modern agriculture.

I have learned about range management in the classroom, but that simply doesn’t compare to the opportunity to see healthy land management in practice. The Petersons are extremely conscientious in their rotations of both cattle and crops. They understand what it is to be stewards of God’s country, and they make every effort to integrate that into the interns’ work and thought process.

There were many learning experiences on the ranch, perhaps the biggest being the undertaking of 500 stocker steers. We mob grazed annual forage cocktails to accommodate these extra mouths, and while the Petersons had previous experience with mob grazing, there was still plenty of fine-tuning to figure out. Anneke and I got to delve into this head on; we built the temporary electric fences, decided how big to make the paddocks, and were also entrusted with making the call of when to move the cattle to the next paddock. We made our fair share of mistakes and then some, but the knowledge and confidence I gained along the way were truly priceless.

In late-May we began the battle with pink-eye in the steers, which we ended up dealing with for the remainder of their stay. There was a lot of setting up and taking down portable corrals, but as much of a headache as the steers were, I definitely loved all the time on horseback. It was also a great way to strengthen my skills in quiet cattle handling and vaccinating.

The list of experiences and skills I gained through the Petersons could go on and on; I was exposed to artificial insemination, heat synchronization systems, and basic management of a breeding herd, among many others. While at Plum Thicket I was exposed to Nan’s extensive grazing plan and her flexibility in altering the plan under unexpected circumstances; one of her greatest strengths is matching forage supply and demand, and the knowledge she shares is invaluable to anyone interested in pasture management.

Looking back, I think of all the things I never would have expected when I came out to Plum Thicket: the Petersons’ welcoming hospitality, the opportunity to make decisions in areas I wasn’t super experienced in…and the persistent need for my raincoat. I was so blessed to be able to work at Plum Thicket this summer. I got to learn from some of the best in today’s cattle industry, and I found exemplary role models for what I aspire to be in my profession.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think this summer was the best summer of my life.   It was filled with hard work and blessings of all kinds! Some of my favorite experiences were learning to ride, fixing fence out in beautiful pastures that went on for miles, working with a wonderful cow dog (Maggie!), and learning how to treat hurt and sick cows and calves.

One of the main goals of the ranch is to care for and improve the land. This is something I saw happening first-hand while I was there.   Every cattle or crop discussion included how the given plan would affect the long-term health of the land.

The cattle herd is the largest group of structurally correct, functional, heavily muscled, and well-balanced group of cattle I have ever seen together in one place.   They were docile and healthy. It was incredible to see such a uniformly high-quality group of cattle.

Hands-on experience was probably the biggest advantage that this internship held for me. Devin and I were welcomed and expected to help with almost everything we saw happening. My mistakes helped me learn a lot too. This internship improved my practical skills more than any other work experience.
I also met many personal goals while at Plum Thicket and learned a lot about God.
Thanks so much, Rex and Nan!

Sarah Nafziger

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            I’m a non-traditional student at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln studying Animal Science with a specialization in Grazing Livestock Systems. A 22 year veteran of the United States Air Force, I began both my college studies and this internship with no experience in farming or ranching aside from 2 horses I own. I applied for and accepted the intern position with Plum Thicket Farms to gain knowledge and experience around cattle. And that is exactly what I received.

            From the moment I arrived, I was immersed in calving, treating calves, moving cattle, and doing everything necessary to ensure their care. The Peterson’s provided needed instruction and an intense learning environment directed toward both herd care and improvement, and rangeland management; highlighting the synergy between both. The learning environment was directly in line with my degree program courses in range management and animal management on range and pasture.

            During my internship I was exposed to practical application of range management practices to include; grass identification and determining forage production. These practices were used to determine pasture rotations and forage allocations for the herd. I participated in artificial insemination, synchronization protocols, and all aspects of breeding management for the herd. I learned about equipment operations and functions, and pen designs. All of this translated into a level of exposure not matched in my life or in college classrooms.

            The experience afforded by Plum Thicket Farms has solidified my desire to pursue a life as a cattle rancher.

William Frisby

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            My name is Kelsey Haley. I am a student of South Dakota State University – Brookings, SD studying Animal Science with a specialization in Beef Production. I am originally from Waseca, MN and I grew up on a farm raising corn/soybeans, hogs, and a small herd of beef cows. My passion is with the beef industry and Nancy Peterson shares that same passion. I interned with Plum Thicket for the summer of 2012 and 2013.

            Plum Thicket is a unique operation, in that their highest priority is to maintain and improve their most precious resource, the land. They constantly think outside the box to find ways to utilize their farmland to benefit the cows and save their pastures, and also utilize the cows to benefit the farmland. It’s a tremendous learning experience to be exposed to traditional pasture rotation and range management, while also experiencing new non-traditional grazing plans.

            Nancy, being a veterinarian, has an extensive health system that gave me the experience in applying a wide variety of practices; vaccinations, castration, tubing, umbilical care, abscess treatment, foot rot, bloat, diagnostics, etc. Although with Nancy’s breeding practices she has a low percentage of dystocia, since my internship I now have experience pulling calves, recognizing malpresentations and righting them, hip locking, twins, etc. Experiences that are truly invaluable.

            To give you a summary of my summers spent with Plum Thicket; I arrived the second and third week of May. They had approximately a third of the herd left to calve. The first calvers are kept at home and are checked throughout the night for dystocia. The mature cows are calved on fields of rye, and they are checked every morning and evening. Every new calf that is found is tagged, weighed, branded, vaccinated, given umbilical care, and castrated if need be. Weight, tag, and color are documented, along with calving ease, disposition of the cow, and an udder score.

            Nancy does her best to age segregate calves for scours prevention. When moving cows after calving, they are paired off the field (horseback). A grazing plan will be assembled. There are typically multiple groups of cows and they are periodically rotated through fields and pastures (horseback). Before moving anything, fences need to be checked and repaired. Often times when moving to fields a temporary fence is needed to be built. The summer of 2013 we did a lot of high density grazing which required a lot of temp fence.

            Breeding in July consists of creating a breeding plan; who will be bred AI, choosing bulls to buy semen from, and when to synchronize. We synchronized Nancy’s heifers by feeding MGA; her late calvers are given CIDRs; her other mature cows are given lutalyse and GNRH. It’s truly educational to not only know these different ways to synchronize but to have used each of them. After cows are artificially inseminated, bulls are turned out (horseback). Before that happens, we have collected, tested and measured each bull. Nancy does this herself which means you are involved in each of these steps as well. Even though I will not be doing my own testing in the future, I now know what to look for and can better judge whether the people I pay to do it know what they are doing.

            There are so many real life experiences and hands on opportunities at Plum Thicket, since interning there I have so much more confidence in my education and background.

Kelsey Haley

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My name is Robert Corrales and I attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga. I am majoring in Livestock Production with a concentration in beef. I am originally from Tampa, FL where I showed cattle in high school and got hooked on agriculture. From as early as I can remember I have always loved the outdoors so ranching turned out to be a perfect career path. I was one of two summer interns at Plum Thicket the summer of 2020.

Over the summer, one of the most enjoyable aspects was the calving season. Although the other intern and I arrived on the later end of calving, we still had a lot of time to learn about how Plum Thicket goes through their tagging process. We tagged the calves, gave vaccines, and treating the umbilicus. The hardest part of all of it was trying to catch the calves to get all of that done.

One of the larger projects I was able to work on this summer was repairing a mobile chute. I was tasked with removing the floor and replacing it with a new one along with fixing other broken parts. It took several days and a lot of dismantling and then welding everything back together. When finished, the chute ran smoothly and worked effectively. My metal fabrication skills were put to the test, but the results were satisfying.

Throughout my time at Plum Thicket, the other intern and I were exposed to different plant species in the region. Every week, Mikayla and I were given 2 or 3 different kinds to learn and then be able to identify them while walking through pastures. We learned the importance of warm and cool season grasses and how land management is crucial in getting the most utilization out of a pasture.

Before my internship, my horseback skills were limited. When we arrived, we were given the opportunity to learn more about the proper ways to handle the horses. While in the calving season, we were tasked with sorting and pairing off cow calf pairs and moving them to new pastures. It taught us quickly how to maneuver the horses and the cattle in a low stress environment. By the end of the summer, I was comfortable and confident in my ability to move cattle on horseback over both long and short distances.

This summer was a lot of work. From getting up early to work cattle, to the hot long days fixing fence, I can say that it was well worth it. I learned so much about the cattle industry and all the hard work that goes into all the day to day tasks. This internship has solidified my decision that the cattle industry is where I want to be working. Thank you to Nan, Rex, Jess and Pat for this amazing opportunity.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________