What is your connection to dairy farming?
I grew up working on my family owned and operated farm, Finn-Star Farm. It was established in 1989 by my parents Paul and Robin Starceski. The farm is currently a 3rd generation family farm and hopefully will be a 4thgeneration family farm in the future. We milk mostly registered Holsteins with some Ayrshires, Jerseys and Guernseys. We farm about 400 acres. We practice intensive grazing with both our cows and heifers. On our farm, we produce milk, beef and dairy replacements. Our farm is uniqur because we are a small farm that only milks 50 cows, we have a growing beef herd that we direct market and our farm is completely operated by family members.
Why is it important to you to pursue a career in the industry?
It is important for me to pursue a career in the dairy industry because of my passion for dairy cattle and feeding the world’s growing population. From my CALS education, I hope to bring precision genetics to my family’s farm. I would like to start genomic testing so that we can better market our replacements and improve our genetic advancement with a tailored breeding program.
Do you plan to intern with Chobani? If so, what will you be doing? What do you hope to gain from that experience?
As of right now I do not plan to intern with Chobani, but plans can change!
What do you think is important for others to know about the dairy industry?
I believe it is important for people to understand that we are not competing against each other in the dairy industry. We are all on the same team trying to provide consumers with a quality product.
How has CALS shaped your understanding of animal science/dairy management?
Since joining CALS, I have gained a better understanding of all of the opportunities within the dairy industry including jobs, internships, scholarship and innovation.
Header image: Emily Starceski ‘23 Photo by Allison Usavage
