At the All-American Dairy Show, Caroline Arrowsmith of Peach Bottom, Pa., was honored with one of the All-American Dairy Foundation’s top awards.
Arrowsmith was selected as the 2021 Arthur W. Nesbitt Scholarship Winner. This award is in honor of Arthur Nesbitt, former chief operation officer for NASCO and past executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Holstein Association.
The daughter of Tom and Mandy Arrowsmith, she has exhibited is Jersey and Holstein cattle at the All-American Dairy Show since 2011 and competed in the All-American Dairy Show Showmanship Contest. She owns 27 cattle at her family’s farm, Hillacres Jerseys.
Today, she is enrolled at Penn State majoring in animal science. Arrowsmith’s long-term goal is build a career focusing on calves and heifers either working as a farm’s calf or youngstock manager or a calf specialist for a nutrition company. “One of my first jobs on the farm was feeding calves,” she said. “This has led me to have a strong passion for them and interest in their care.” She also wants to maintain a small herd of her own.
As part of the selection process, Arrowsmith had to submit an essay detailing the steps she would take to maximize the profits to make a dairy farm successful. “It is vital for small farms to find a way to differentiate themselves to increase the value of their product,” she said.
“This can be done in a number of ways such as being organic, A2A2, or processing your own milk.” For large farms, keep a steady focus on genetics. No matter the farm size, “cows are the core of the dairy operation and are key in having a profitable farm.”
As a reward for her achievements, Arrowsmith was awarded $1,000 by the foundation’s scholarship committee.
To learn more about these awards, visit the foundation’s website.