CREAM (Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management) is a 2-semester course in which students perform the work and make the financial management decisions associated with the CREAM dairy herd. Students assume complete responsibility for the management and care of the 25-cow herd for the entire academic year. CREAM provides students with a unique experiential learning model that will help them understand how to work together to manage and operate a small business, the decision-making skills required in production agriculture and the application of science to the management of a dairy herd. Two semesters of 4 cr. each are required.

Focus on goals and fundamentals of reproductive management of horses, dairy and livestock animals, and through actual experience, development of competency in performing modern breeding techniques for equine and bovine reproduction. Lab.

As a semester long group project, students will design an economically feasible, fully operational, diversified small farm. Students will need to consider site selection, infrastructure, equipment, labor, animal production and health, financing options, marketing and sales, etc. in their design. The final project will be presented in both an oral and a written format. Independent initiative and group collaboration are both integral to success in this project.

This course allows students to review critical professional skills, concepts and theories necessary for success within the equine industry and then to demonstrate competence in these areas, to a panel of equine program faculty. Students also coordinate logistics and content of an outreach Equine Education Day. Successful completion allows students to showcase professional skills and abilities to the non-academic equestrian community.