Host Application: International Dairy Farm Training Program

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Complete the application form.
2. Send the application form back either by:
   • email to: jill@globalcow.com
   • by fax to: 802-257-1693
   • regular mail to: Global Cow, Ltd.,
     611 Ames Hill, Brattleboro, VT 05301 U.S.A.

International Dairy Farm Training Program
Host Application

The Global Cow, Ltd. California Polytechnic State University
611 Ames Hill, Brattleboro, VT 05301 Dairy Science Department, San Luis Obipso, CA 93407

Contact Information

What is in this town for intern to do?
__ movie theater __ shopping __ library __ dancing
__ nightclubs/bars __ historical interest __ cultural events __ sports

Do you have liability insurance for your farm: ____ yes ____ no

Reference name (normally vets, banker, DHIA, extension agent, university personnel, neighbors):

Reference telephone number:

Reference relationship:

Housing
Intern will be living with family in our home: ___ yes ____ no

Intern will be living in separate housing: __ trailer home __ apartment __ house

Location of housing is: __ on farm __ in town __ down the road

Number of bedrooms are in this housing: __

Will intern share a bathroom? ___ yes ____ no

Intern will live with other family members? __ yes ___ no

Intern will share housing with other interns? __ yes ___ no

*If yes, please indicate number of interns, and their ages and home countries:

If intern will have much interaction with family pets, please list:

Will intern have meals with the family? __ yes ___ no __ on occasion

Who will wash intern's clothes? ___ intern ___ farm

Does anyone speak another language? __ yes ___ no

If yes, which language? ____________

Which day will intern probably have off? _________

Can intern smoke in the house? ___ yes ___ no

Can intern smoke in buildings or on tractors? ___ yes ____ no

Where will intern have access to internet? ___________________

Farm Description
Which breed of cows do you work with? _________

Are you pasture-based? ___ yes ____ no

How many cows are you milking? ________

How many times per day? __ 3x ___ 2x

What times do you milk? ______

Who normally does the milking? __________

Are you on official test? ___ yes ____ no

Current rolling herd average? ___________

The milking is done in a
___ herringbone parlor of ___ on each side
___ rotary parlor
___ New Zealand-style swing-over
___ flat barn
___ stanchion barn
___ tie-stall barn

Do you raise replacement heifers on the farm?
___ yes ____ no
Do you raise steers/dairy beef on the farm?
____ yes ____ no

Do you classify? ___ yes ___ no
*If yes, list BAA: ____

Do you work with embryo transfer? ___ yes ___ no
*If yes, how many times per year? ___
*If yes, what role do you see your intern playing in this?

Do you show cattle? ___ yes ____ no
*If yes, which shows? ____________________

Do you use a computer? ___ yes ___ no
*If yes, for what? _______________________

Do you use consultants? ___ yes ___ no
*If yes, for what? ________________________

What percentage of the farm's income comes from the sale of milk (estimated)? ______%

Are you currently expanding? ___ yes ___ no

*If yes, please describe general plan:

How many acres do you farm? _____

How many acres of each crop are you working with annually ?
___ corn
___ alfalfa hay
___ soybeans
___ sorghum
___ barley
___ wheat
___ peas
___ other: ________

Do you expect to have the intern involved in the cropping and dairy portions of your operation?
___ yes ____ no

*If yes, doing what?

Farm & Employee Roles
List the family members and/or other employees with whom the intern will be involved in a working relationship; their ages and their roles (being more specific than just "general chores"):

Name Age Role on the Farm

Motivation
Why do you wish to have a intern? Check all that apply:
___ To share the knowledge and skills we have with someone who is interested and eager to learn
___ To learn more about our intern's native culture and way of life
___ To share American culture, especially in a rural environment
___ To establish contacts for potential future technology and/or genetics sales or purchases.
___ To assist our intern in meeting his training objectives

If you have had interns before, please list the countries which you have worked with, and the programs you have worked with:

Interns are placed according to the ability of a certain farm to match their training goals. Please indicate which countries you have a strong interest in working with:
___ Asia (typically Japan)
___ Former Eastern Europe (typically Poland, Ukraine)
___ Western Europe
___ Africa (typically Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa)
___ South America (typically Argentina, Brazil)
___ Central America (typically Honduras, Panama)
___ North American (typically Mexico)
___ does not matter

What is the most important characteristic you are looking for?

Overall, what do you expect from your intern?

Any other information you believe would be important for potential interns to know about your operation?

Any other information you believe that we should know while matching you with a intern?

Training Plan
Hosts for the International Dairy Farm Training Program must allow interns to work in ALL areas of their operation where the intern wishes to receive training and where intern can be safely trained. Hosts will evaluate interns after and make sure that they are capable of working in each area in which they wished to be trained. NOTE: Almost all interns learn to milk, and many interns spend much of their time in this area, since much of the dairy work centers around milking, but interns can not spend all of their training time in the milking parlor (unless intern specifically wishes to do this). Please check the areas that your farm will provide training in, indicating the hours the intern will spend in each area on a weekly basis, as appropriate:

Nutrition
__ understanding rations for baby calves
__ understanding rations for replacement heifers
__ understanding rations for steers (dairy beef)
__ understanding rations for dry cows
__ understanding rations for heifers
__ understanding rations for lactating cows
__ understanding rations for 1st-calf heifers
__ understanding ration decisions by season
__ understanding ration decisions according to cost
__ understanding rations with pasture influences
__ understanding rations according to climate

__ formulating rations for baby calves
__ formulating rations for replacement heifers
__ formulating rations for steers (dairy beef)
__ formulating rations for dry cows
__ formulating rations for heifers
__ formulating rations for lactating cows
__ formulating rations for 1st-calf heifers
__ formulating ration decisions by season
__ formulating ration decisions according to cost
__ formulating rations with pasture influences
__ formulating rations according to climate

__ mixing rations for baby calves
__ mixing rations for replacement heifers
__ mixing rations for steers (dairy beef)
__ mixing rations for dry cows
__ mixing rations for heifers
__ mixing rations for lactating cows
__ mixing rations for 1st-calf heifers
__ mixing ration decisions by season
__ mixing ration decisions according to cost
__ mixing rations with pasture influences
__ mixing rations according to climate

__ pushing up feed
__ understanding importance of feed maintenance
__ visiting with nutritionists
__ understanding computer ration programs
__ understanding of purchasing grains & feedstuffs
__ explaining the use of forward contracting
__ using equipment
__ driving tractor and mixer wagon (if able)
__ loading commodites
__ determining storage needs for specific feeds
__ tracking costs of feedstuffs
__ visiting with commodity salesperson
__ visiting local suppliers of feedstuffs
__ meeting with farm nutritionist if possible
__ other:_________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend on nutrition? ____________

Vet Medicine:
__ assisting the veterinarian
__ taking temperatures
__ administering boluses
__ giving injections subcuteously
__ giving injections intraveneously
__ drenching calves
__ working with herd health issues in general
__ diagnosing illnesses
__ determining treatments
__ evaluating treatments
__ monitoring improvements/progress
__ evaluating sanitary controls
__ evaluating sanitary improvements/needs
__ recording veterinary recommendations
__ assisting with herd health checks
__ assisting with vaccinations
__ implementing a vaccination schedule
__ riding with local veterinarian if possible
__ other:

How many hours per week will interns normally spend working with veterinary medicine? ____

Milking:
__ understanding of physiology of milk let-down
__ understanding of drugs used for milk let-down
__ detecting mastitis
__ evaluating mastitis treatment
__ recommending mastitis treatment
__ comprehending milk quality payments
__ understanding milk quality and profit relationship
__ understanding necessity of sanitary controls
__ understanding somatic cell count measurements
__ understanding milk bonuses paid by cooperative
__ understanding milk bidding on futures market
__ changing milk components for profit
__ assembling the milking parlor
__ comprehending when equipment is not working
__ repairing the milking equipment
__ observing different types of milking parlors
__ assembling milking equipment itself
__ become familiar with milk equipment sanitation
__ handling dairy chemicals properly
__ other: _______________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in milking? _____

Genetics
__ interpreting sire evaluations
__ understanding reproductive physiology
__ learning importance of timing of insemination
__ detecting estruous
__ understanding protocol for handling semen
__ thawing semen appropriately
__ implementing controls of semen quality
__ understanding semen tank design
__ distinguishing semen identification
__ learning artificial insemination
__ practicing artificial insemination
__ learning palpation
__ practicing palpation
__ determining mating options
__ assisting with genetic mating decisions
__ visiting with local semen salespeople
__ assisting with type evaluation/classification
__ other: _____________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in genetics? ________

Farm Management
__ assisting with computer record keeping
__ determining best computer programs
__ learning about employee management
__ understanding labor management practices
__ working with different cultures, different styles
__ learning about decision making process
__ observing and interacting with consultants
__ other: ____________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in farm management? ________

Herd Management
__ assisting with body scoring of animals
__ raising calves
__ decreasing calf mortality
__ raising replacement heifers on-farm
__ learning about contracting with heifer growers
__ checking for heat detection
__ learning estrous synchronization
__ understanding transition cow management
__ implementing systems for transition cows
__ monitoring specific needs for transition cows
__ understanding dry cow management practices
__ implementing dry cow management practices
__ monitoring dry cow management practices
__ understanding recombiant BST technology
__ understanding process of embryo transfer
__ assisting with embryo transfer as appropriate
__ other: ____________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in herd management? ____

Financial Management
__ learning about building design options
__ learning relationship between costs and design
__ determining value for costs of technology
__ understanding costs of business
__ understanding true labor costs
__ understanding taxes
__ other: ______________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in financial management? ___

Sanitary Management
__ scraping freestalls
__ cleaning common areas
__ maintaining sanitary controls required
__ other: ________________________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in sanitary management? ____

Agronomy
__ planting forages and grains
__ observing crops progress
__ scouting for problems
__ determining pests
__ determining options and course of treatment
__ harvesting forages and grains
__ conducting soil analysis
__ learning proper usage of inputs
__ handling of feed stuffs after harvesting
__ analyzing economic production costs
__ driving tractors
__ driving ATVs
__ driving skid steers
__ driving other machinery
__ other: _______________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in agronomy (when possible)? ____

Marketing
__ showing of animals
__ judging of animals
__ preparing of advertisements
__ participating in marketing
__ selling high pedigreed animals
__ selling commercial animals
__ exporting high pedigreed animals
__ exporting commercial animals
__ preparing animals for show ring
__ feeding animals for show ring
__ other: _______________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in marketing (when possible)? ____

Cultural Exchange
__ participating in family interaction
__ participating in community activities
__ participating in religious services
__ participating in sports
__ seeing the USA
__ experiencing American holidays
__ making friends in community
__ making with employees on the farm
__ learning about American daily life
__ attending county fairs
__ attending dairy-related conferences
__ attending World Dairy Expo
__ other: ______________________

How many hours per week will interns normally spend in cultural exchange? _____

Other (please list):

Summary
Which three areas will the intern spend the most time working in?
1)
2)
3)

Signature
Please read and sign the following:

We have read and understand all questions and statements appearing on this host application. All of the questions are answered truthfully and completely. We understand any false statements or obvious omissions in this application could disqualify us from consideration as a dairy farm intern host.

We agree, for ourselves, our family and our heirs, successors and assigns, to release, discharge, hold harmless and indemnify Global Cow and California Polytechnic State University and all of their officers, employees, and agents, of and from any and all claims, damage, liability and costs of every nature arising out of or in any way connected with our farm's participation as a host farm in the International Dairy Farm Training Program.

We also understand that the intern must be involved in all areas of the operation as intern has indicated he/she wishes to be trained, providing the intern shows sufficient skill to undertake the training safely.

He/she must have a reasonable work schedule according our state's laws, at least one day off per week and free time to relax, attend farm and community events and visit other local farms, etc.

We, as a host farm, understand that this is a work training experience and not a cheap labor program.

We commit to giving the intern a safe working and housing environment.

We confirm that we will assist interns in getting US driver's licenses and social security cards.

We promise to abide by the rules governing J-1 visa training programs, and will advise the program immediately if intern:
*commits a felony;
*changes address;
*changes telephone number;
*changes name;
*changes social security number;
*goes on a trip/stays in a different location for any night (program must have contact information)
*demonstrates questionable, unusual behavior from a security standpoint;
*becomes involved in activities with questionable individuals;
*has any serious problem or controversy which could be expected to bring the Department of State or the sponsor's exchange visitor program into notoriety or dispute

_____________________________________________ ___________________
signature date