September 02, 2020

By By Rachael Blaine ’21

Back in 2019, Stephanie Clouser ’21 applied for an internship at a large dairy farm … but was not the successful candidate. However, that same application landed her a position with her current internship.

“The farm I work at now, Hameau Farm, did see my application and they knew they wanted me for 2020,” Clouser said.

Located in Belleville, Pennsylvania, Hameau Farm houses sheep, chickens, goats, pigs and cows. Clouser, a biomedical sciences major from Madisonburg, Pennsylvania, primarily works with the farm’s herd of cows – Plum Bottom Ayrshires.

One of Clouser’s main objectives in her internship is her research project. “I am observing how heat and raging summer temperatures with little rain affect the production of the dairy cattle on this farm,” she said.

She admits that this project has helped her realize another passion of hers: research. “Because of the excitement that I get at the mere mention of the word, I have decided that I would like to look for a career in either animal or agronomical research.”

Aside from her research project, Clouser spends a lot of her time milking cows and teaching at Farm Camp, a six-week summer camp for girls. “They come to the farm, stay in cabins and help care for the animals while learning the importance and power of being a woman in agriculture and society,” she said.

With the current pandemic in mind, Clouser’s best advice for searching for internships is to consider looking for them in essential jobs. “Internships are a great opportunity to try new things and to really go out of your comfort zone and do something you’re not used to.”

Most importantly, Clouser reminds students to not give up, and not be afraid to reach out. “The worse they’ll do is turn you away and that isn’t as bad as you think, I promise. You never know unless you ask.”