The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.
Lynn Olthof was recently selected as the Vita Plus dairy nutrition and management fellowship student at Michigan State University (MSU). Olthof is the seventh student to participate in the program. She will spend two summers and four semesters earning her master’s degree in dairy science while simultaneously gaining experience in dairy nutrition and management consulting. Vita Plus will fund the credits throughout the duration of the experience in return for the research and project support she will provide.
Olthof grew up working on her grandparents’ dairy farm in western Michigan. She earned a certificate in dairy management through the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management. As an undergraduate, Olthof developed an interest in dairy nutrition and its impacts on rumen health and productivity by participating on the MSU Dairy Challenge team. She gained a greater understanding of how nutrition influences the health and productivity of a dairy herd from a semester-long complete farm evaluation project. Through numerous internships, Olthof received additional hands-on experience within the dairy industry, including dairy farm management, crop scouting and dairy nutrition. As the Vita Plus MSU fellowship student, Olthof will work with Dr. Barry Bradford, the Clint Meadows Endowed Chair in Dairy Management at MSU, to develop an economic model to help smaller Michigan dairy farms make sustainable decisions.
Vita Plus Corporation is an employee-owned company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, and has been serving livestock producers since 1948. More than just a feed supplier, Vita Plus consultants offer the latest cutting-edge technology, nutrition and management information. For more information about the organization call 800.362.8334 or go online at www.vitaplus.com.
