Careers in Agriculture

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- 23 - © A gCareers.com 2017
DOWN TO ADAIRY SCIENCE
interest in animals,” Tyler said. “Dairy was the industry
I gravitated toward, because it reminded me of the ag
community I was used to growing up.”
Tyler pursued education in animal science at the
University of Missouri. While there, he decided to pursue a
master’s degree in reproductive physiology. Realizing that
Missouri was “more of a cow-calf state,” Tyler shifted his
interests toward Idaho, the third highest-ranking state
in dairy production and achieved a position as Dairy
Production Specialist with Zoetis, an international animal
health company.
“My job as a Dairy Production Specialist is kind of a
hybrid role between a sales position but also a technical,
Tyler Stratman, a farm kid
from Missouri, didn’t grow
up around livestock, but he
knew he wanted to work in
a career focused on animals.
“I was more around row
crops, but I always had an
consulting position,” Tyler said. “So
with that, on any given day, I could be
working with farm owners and farm
managers on the decision-making
side by evaluating data, performance
of the animals, or performance of the
farm. Then there are days when I work
with employees in the barns with the cows on protocol or
decisions that the owner made. Other days I work with
veterinarians. Zoetis is an animal health company, so I
work with veterinarians going over different products.”
Tyler has been working with Zoetis for nearly a year
and says the variety in his job is what he enjoys most.
“Some days I’m walking around in rubber boots and
some days I’m in front of a computer,” Tyler said. “I get
to see the whole picture of a dairy and not just one little
portion. I like being able to help influence all aspects of
the organization from working with the manager to the
animal caretaker.”
When asked what was difficult about his role, Tyler
explained that the increased concern from consumers
around animal welfare and dairy production has been
challenging, but he strives to bring a positive face to the
industry and work to show consumers the truth behind
dairy production.
“Animals are well taken care of, and a lot of
consumer concerns have already been addressed by
progressive dairymen,” Tyler said. “We understand
consumers’ concerns, and we can explain how we
do things.”
Tyler’s biggest piece of advice for students interested
in pursuing a career in animal science is to experience
some sort of leadership position. He said his experience
within leadership positions during his undergraduate
years have immensely helped his career.
“I think that when you get into a role like this, those
presentation and speaking skills are going to be key,”
Tyler said. “You don’t get out of college and magically
don’t have to talk in front of people anymore. You interact
with a lot of owners and managers of large operations.
Being able to look at information and knowing if it’s
relevant is also becoming important, so having statistical
and analytical skills is also important.”
Tyler also stressed the importance of experiencing at
least one internship and to learn a second language.
“Don’t be afraid to take advantage of any learning
opportunity that you can,” Tyler said. “If you think that
a month of studying abroad in Brazil will help you get a
better understanding of the dairy industry, explore that.
People miss out on opportunities because they’re afraid
to at least give it a chance. Take the extra Spanish class
in high school or college. Go on study abroad trips. I grew
up in Missouri, but there’s a lot of agriculture beyond
that. Bring ideas from other places back. Help your
producers be better from those ideas and experiences.”