Lely North America has selected five recipients to receive a $1,000 scholarship to aid their education in the pursuit of a career in the dairy industry. Sarah Metzger was chosen based off of her excellent qualifications, essay and letters of recommendation.
Sarah is currently attending Manchester Junior-Senior High School in North Manchester, Indiana, with the intent to attend the University of Northwestern Ohio in the fall of 2020. She has been an active 4-H member for 10 years and has been involved in the FFA as well. Sarah has multiple state championship titles in floriculture and enjoys showing cattle.
This dairy enthusiast grew up on her family's dairy farm, Southview Farms, Inc., in Claypool, Indiana, and has become an integral part of the operation with her strong work ethic. Sarah assists with milking as well as feeding and medicating the calves. She also doesn't shy away from operating farm equipment and baling hay in the summer. Her family recently made the decision to add Lely Astronaut automatic milking systems to their operation, allowing Sarah to see the benefits automation can bring to a dairy firsthand. She even dedicated many hours after school training with Lely experts to understand how to successfully utilize the robots. As a result, her family now relies upon her to fully operate the machines.
In her essay, Sarah spoke of the positive impact dairy robotics has had on her family's farm. She pointed out that the quality of milk has vastly improved since automation, as well as cow comfort. Because of the Lely Astronaut, Sarah has more time for other tasks around the operation, as well as the capacity for a second job off of the farm.
"Now that the dairy industry can be automated with robotics, farmers can do even more throughout their day," Sarah said. "The farmer can focus on working on tractors, feeding, harvesting or even spending time with loved ones."
Sarah's passion for dairy cows and the dairy industry is very apparent. She cannot wait to complete her degree at UNOH and return to the family farm to partner with her dad. Congratulations Sarah, and best of luck as you pursue college this fall!