Students gain feed industry experience with Vita Plus this summer

(Madison, Wis.) – Two students are gaining experience in calf and youngstock nutrition, forage management, and the feed industry as Vita Plus interns this summer. Grace Haase and Chase Rievert are working on different teams focused on specific projects for the duration of the summer while learning how Vita Plus employee owners bring feed, nutrition, and management expertise to dairy and livestock farms throughout the Midwest.

Grace Haase is from Somerset, Wisconsin, and is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying dairy science and agribusiness. Haase grew up on her family’s 550-cow dairy farm, where she managed calf raising and assisted with dry cow care and farm health protocols. Haase is involved with several campus activities, including the UW-River Falls Dairy Club and Collegiate Farm Bureau and was a member of the dairy evaluation team. She is active in the Forest View 4-H Club and the Wisconsin Holstein Association and has been a member of the county’s dairy judging and quiz bowl teams. This summer, Haase is working with the Vita Plus calf team to complete several calf starter research trials. This will include collecting, analyzing, and presenting the data while working with several nutritionists and consultants.

Chase Rievert is from Bay Port, Michigan, and is currently a student at Michigan State University (MSU) studying animal science. On campus, Rievert is involved in the MSU Dairy Club and has participated in the Dairy Challenge competition on the university, regional, and national levels. He also gained valuable experience by interning on different dairy farms and traveling to various dairy-related conferences. At MSU, Rievert is also an animal sciences research lab assistant. Working with the Vita Plus forage team and several field consultants, he is visiting dairy farms across Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois to run a silage density research trial. This will include collecting data, analyzing the results, and sharing the findings with the Vita Plus dairy team and participating farms.

Vita Plus Corporation, an employee-owned company, serves dairy and livestock producers throughout the Midwest. Founded in 1948, the company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to quality feed manufacturing, Vita Plus consultants offer the latest cutting-edge nutrition, technology and management expertise. For more information about the organization, call 800.362.8334 or go online at www.vitaplus.com.