Carly Bass

• Field and focus area of study: Animal Science, Production Sustainability 
• Hometown: Potomac, MD
• Fun fact: I worked on a dairy farm in Ireland for 3 months after undergrad. 

What are the strengths of the CALS MPS degree program? 

I really like that the MPS program is course based. Having the ability to take a variety of courses has allowed me to explore areas that I did not intend to learn about when starting the program. In fact, I did not come here with any knowledge about nutrient management, and now it is a passion of mine that I am pursuing as a career. 

What courses were your favorite? Why?

Whole-Farm Nutrient Management has been my favorite course here. Taking this course is what made me decide to pursue this aspect of agriculture as a career. I was drawn towards the idea of seeing what the soil needs and utilizing nutrients properly to get good crop yields while also preserving surrounding environments. I love the relationship between animal agriculture and growing crops. Good crops make healthy animals and vice versa.

What are the biggest challenges you want to tackle in the world?

I want to save and protect the watersheds and air quality around the world. I would love to be a part of agriculture eliminating their carbon footprint and help find ways to grow crops that can sequester the earth’s carbon instead.

How has pursuing an MPS helped your understanding of Production Sustainability? The future of Production Sustainability? 

To be honest, I did not put much thought into Production Sustainability before coming here to Cornell. I was learning from farmers and trusted that what they were doing was the best way, because they have been farming for decades. However, I realize now that there are management practices that are more beneficial to the land and can protect the environment.

What words would you use to describe the CALS MPS degree program? 

Intensive and challenging, but very rewarding and eye-opening