Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

How good must a intern's English be? It is tested orally, over the phone, which is one of the most difficult ways to be understood in a foreign language. Interns must be able to communicate, but are not required to be completely fluent.

Do interns have a lot of farm background? This varies. Typically, interns are vet or dairy science students, farmers-to-be, or already involved in the dairy industry back home.

Where do interns come from? In the past 10-15 years, interns have come from: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Wales...

Where are the host farms located? Most farms are located in the Upper Midwest, such as the state of Wisconsin. While there are farms in California and Florida, the competition for placements is very strong.

Are interns required to come for a full year? Ideally, yes. However, in some situations, interns can not stay for the full 12 months. The intern must still pay the full fees, and would still be required to attend the Cal Poly training. Hosts would know in advance.

Can hosts find their own interns? Yes, as long as the intern is qualified and program rules are followed.

Must interns go to Cal Poly? Yes.

And must interns attend the general orientation session? Yes.

What if the intern needs to leave the US and then return? This is not encouraged. Occasionally there are justified reasons for interns' leaving the US (attending the Royal in Canada, etc). Interns and hosts must contact the program and receive documentation in advance... or else the intern can't re-enter the US.

Can interns change farms? If interns can not meet their training goals on their first farm, or if there are problems which can not be resolved, interns are allowed to switch farms one time. They must give two weeks notice to the host farm. They must go to farms approved by the program. Host farms may also ask that a intern leave, and host farms must give Global Cow two weeks to make the change.

If a intern leaves early, are fees refunded? Application fees for both host and intern are non-refundable. Insurance is only refunded by whole-month increments. Cal Poly fees are non-refundable.

What's the best thing about this program? This program is strictly for dairy training. So people who come through the International Dairy Farm Training are generally very excited about dairying.

What's the worst thing that can go wrong? Bad expectations. If hosts think that is simply a way to find workers for their farm, or if interns simply want to come to the US to make money, the program will not work. No one will be happy. Interns need to come to learn, and understand that hours are long and hard. American dairy farm life is not easy. Hosts must remember that these interns are here to learn, and commit to open communication. Hosts need to put themselves into their interns' situations and be empathetic.

Can the intern stay longer than 12 months? No. This program does not have an 18-month option. At the end of 12 months, the intern must return home.

Can the intern return to the United States again? Most of the time, yes--under a different visa. However, some countries want interns to stay home for at least two years (the two-year home-stay rule) to apply the knowledge they learned.