We will be highlighting every member of the team working on this research project, including both student interns and faculty. This week in the student edition we will meet Thomas Eggerman and Alexsis Holmstedt. Keep reading to learn more about some of Missouri State’s dedicated agricultural students.

Thomas Eggerman is a junior studying crop science, with a minor in agricultural business. He has been working on the project this spring and will continue over the summer. Eggerman is responsible for feeding and doctoring cattle, building fence for multiple paddocks, and measuring forage over periods of time. He comes from a production agriculture background. His family has approximately 3,500 acres of row-crops and runs a 130 head Black Angus beef cattle herd. His background gives him great experience to be a vital asset to the team for this project.

“I am looking forward to this internship to see what opportunities it holds for me,” Eggerman said. “I want to return to the family farm after graduation, but I am also keeping graduate school in mind as a possibility.”

Alexis Holmstedt is another contributor to the research project team. She is a first year graduate student obtaining a Master’s in Agriculture degree studying plant science and nutrient management. She has also been working on this project since the beginning. Holmsteadt’s responsibilities include aiding and overseeing the undergraduate interns, collecting and analyzing upcoming data, and maintaining/monitoring the wellbeing of the cattle. She has a different background than most of the other students on this project, but not having an agriculture history definitely didn’t stop her interest in the industry.

“Unlike many students pursing a degree in agriculture and plant science, I do not have the typical background of growing up on a row crop farm or family beef production,” Holmstedt said. “My endeavors in my undergraduate years led me to plant sciences and the quest of making food systems more sustainable.”

We are very grateful to have students willing to learn and adjust throughout this research project. We will introduce the other students in upcoming weeks!