The summer crew is hard at work with our research project. We will be highlighting two more students from our team this week. Keep reading to learn more about Sarah Harmon and Nicolas Matheney.

Nicolas Matheney is an upcoming senior animal science major at Missouri State University. He is from the small town of Brookfield, located in north central Missouri. Matheney grew up on a small beef cattle operation and has worked at the forage research center as a seasonal technician. Needless to say, he is well qualified to help with this project and we are happy to have him on the team!
“An animal science degree was a no brainer for me,” Matheney said. “Growing up on a small beef cattle operation, I created a fondness for the cattle industry that I wished to continue. With the experience I gain in college, I would like to start a career working with a large-scale cattle operation, or possibly work with Missouri extension to help other producers create a sustainable and profitable cattle operation.”

This summer Matheney will be working with the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center with Dr. Harley. They will be conducting research on rotational grassing and alternative forages. He has worked with the Missouri State side of the project all spring and will come back this fall.

“With this internship, I hope to further my scientific knowledge of grazing in beef production and how better management practices can increase production,” Matheney said. “I am very excited to be part of a study that may help the local cattle producer create a more sustainable product.”

Sarah Harmon also comes from a small town. She grew up in Seneca, Missouri on a small acre cow-calf operation. Harmon received her Associate’s Degree in agriculture from Crowder College and made the decision to transfer to Missouri State University. She is an animal science and agricultural business major and will be continuing at MSU to pursue her Master’s degree.

“MSU has given me a great opportunity to dig into a little bit of every aspect of agriculture, so that I can be more well-rounded and prepared for what comes next,” Harmon said. “I look for any opportunity to learn something new about any field of agriculture because it all fascinates me.”

Her role on this project is feeding the steers and administering proper medications if needed. She is responsible for observing them for maintenance purposes.

“This internship is an exciting opportunity to be able to put everything that I have learned so far into practical use,” Harmon said. “I can’t wait to continue to learn more each day as I continue down this path.”

These two are a great addition to this research team and we are very excited to see what their futures hold in the agricultural industry.