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The ��Ӱֱ�� University women’s volleyball team visited the ��Ӱֱ�� State Farm earlier this month for a team-building exercise.

On Sunday, Oct. 12, according to Tom Cannon, ��Ӱֱ�� State professor in the Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Technology, the team spent the day mostly around the farm’s dairy cows.

“We ran out of time to visit the horses’ and alternative species’ barns,” Cannon said. “The team members learned how to tie knots to restrain cows, learned what feeds cows eat in a day, how much a cow eats in a day, watched the robot milk cows, and learned how unique the ��Ӱֱ�� State organic dairy farm is on a national basis. We are one of only four colleges nationwide to have an organic dairy farm.”

The team members, Cannon said, “also led cows, sorted and moved cows from the freestalls to the robot to be milked, learned the unique ways that calves suckle their milk, and milked cows in the conventional parlor. The ��Ӱֱ�� University women’s volleyball team had a unique and educational afternoon at the ��Ӱֱ�� State Farm.”

The volleyball squad’s team-building exercise resulted from a two-week large-animal-handling seminar the college Farm hosted in May for ��Ӱֱ�� University pre-vet and biology majors. Cannon said Emily Rechin, a senior leader on the volleyball team, attended the seminar and that the two of them outlined the group’s team-building exercise afterward.

Rechin said the purpose of the event was to educate and bond with teammates.

“Some of the girls from New York City had never experienced farm life or being around large animals,” Rechin said, “so it was truly a great experience for them to complete an event well out of their comfort zone.”