The greatest skill you can have is to be able to solve problems
Guest post by Clemson Montana Summer Program student Libby James
These past few days in Montana I have been able to experience encounters and witness places that both remind me of home and, at the same time, remind me of how far I have come from home. As a group, we had the pleasure of being hosted by Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, for one night and then viewing and touring their animal science facilities and farms and meeting some of their wonderful staff in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences. Like Clemson, they offer their animal science students the opportunity to have very hands-on experiences with livestock through their farms, as well as offering rigorous coursework that challenges students to reach new places they never thought they could go. However, visiting this university once again showed me the importance of rangeland management here in the West, a sharp contrast from back home in Clemson. It was incredible to witness for one day how they teach and train their students in this animal science program.
As an animal science major myself, I was introduced to new concepts and practices that were enlightening and eye-opening. Meeting with Dr. Tim DelCurto and Dr. Bok Sowell, two Animal Science faculty members at Montana State, I learned that the most important skill they feel is necessary to have in order to be successful in this part of the country is: knowing how to solve problems. Here, animal science and wildlife often run together, and it is crucial to know how ranchers make a living, while having some wildlife on the side. We were exposed to several different aspects of their animal science program, including the wool lab, meat science lab, beef facility, and sheep facility. Having had exposure to mainly the sheep farm at Clemson, including some of the beef facility and exposure to the other Clemson farms, it was so interesting to see how similar or different their facilities are here.
One aspect of the trip to Bozeman was the overwhelming hospitality and generosity displayed by everyone we met at Montana State University. All of the staff made me feel very welcome and right at home. In this regard, the animal science staff at Montana State reminded me very much of Clemson. I have always felt the same warmness and helpfulness from the Animal and Veterinary Sciences department at Clemson. It was also wonderful having Dr. Thomas Scott, one of my AVS professors at Clemson, there to guide us through another animal science department. It was all at once when I sat down with Dr. Scott and the professors from Montana State University that I felt two worlds collide. Both schools have animal science programs – yet each school must train students and drive that program towards completely different directions based on the region of the country that school is in.
One message I took away from my Bozeman trip was how important it is to know the carrying capacity of this land – how many animals can be supported by the grazing. Yet, in both South Carolina and Montana, our goals remain similar, despite the completely different areas and differences in livestock. Their goal is to utilize the land and livestock to train and educate students to better the lives of others. I am extremely appreciative of the time I was able to spend at Montana State University, and for the ability to view the differing landscape in Bozeman compared to Billings. Billings and Roundup consist of rolling hills with some rocky mountains, including the Bull Mountains. Bozeman is a mountainous region, differing in forages that cattle can graze and also in the surrounding livestock of the area. What I was first told that Friday morning, the 9th of June, was a lesson I know I will carry with me throughout my entire life – the greatest skill you can have, really anywhere, is to be able to solve problems. I am very grateful to Montana State University for the opportunity to experience their animal science program and to learn all I could from them.
As an animal science major myself, I was introduced to new concepts and practices that were enlightening and eye-opening. Meeting with Dr. Tim DelCurto and Dr. Bok Sowell, two Animal Science faculty members at Montana State, I learned that the most important skill they feel is necessary to have in order to be successful in this part of the country is: knowing how to solve problems. Here, animal science and wildlife often run together, and it is crucial to know how ranchers make a living, while having some wildlife on the side. We were exposed to several different aspects of their animal science program, including the wool lab, meat science lab, beef facility, and sheep facility. Having had exposure to mainly the sheep farm at Clemson, including some of the beef facility and exposure to the other Clemson farms, it was so interesting to see how similar or different their facilities are here.
One message I took away from my Bozeman trip was how important it is to know the carrying capacity of this land – how many animals can be supported by the grazing. Yet, in both South Carolina and Montana, our goals remain similar, despite the completely different areas and differences in livestock. Their goal is to utilize the land and livestock to train and educate students to better the lives of others. I am extremely appreciative of the time I was able to spend at Montana State University, and for the ability to view the differing landscape in Bozeman compared to Billings. Billings and Roundup consist of rolling hills with some rocky mountains, including the Bull Mountains. Bozeman is a mountainous region, differing in forages that cattle can graze and also in the surrounding livestock of the area. What I was first told that Friday morning, the 9th of June, was a lesson I know I will carry with me throughout my entire life – the greatest skill you can have, really anywhere, is to be able to solve problems. I am very grateful to Montana State University for the opportunity to experience their animal science program and to learn all I could from them.
