"On a typical day, I visit one or two dairy farms to do a cow comfort assessment.  I attach small devices called data loggers on the cows’ legs to measure how much time they spend lying down, look for injuries on their legs, and assess how well the cows walk.  I also evaluate the housing environment for the cows and how feeding and milking routines are managed.  I use all this information to provide feedback to the dairy producer on how their farm is doing in terms of cow comfort.  Most of my days are spent on dairy farms working directly with the animals; other times, I am talking to the producers and their consultants about animal care and management so that they can optimize the health, well-being, and productivity of their dairy cows."

"That I get to work with cows every day; but also, I especially enjoy meeting many different producers across the United States, and helping them improve animal care and production on their farms while learning from them different ways to manage a dairy farm."

Kiyomi raises an excellent point! Even as a professional consultant there are always new things to learn; this keeps a job exciting and fulfilling.

"I would NEVER have pictured myself in this career.  I always knew that I wanted to work with animals, but I did not even think about dairy cows because I grew up in a big city with no exposure to farm animals.  I wanted to be a penguin caregiver at the zoo, or maybe a veterinarian for dogs and cats."

"I have a Bachelor’s degree in Agroecology and a Master’s degree in Animal Science.  I also did a year-long internship with my current employer before I was hired for this position.”

"Get practical experience!  Explore and experiment – never know until you try it."