Youngest brother continues PA dairy
family’s tradition, attends Del Val

Progressive Dairyman Staff Writer Emily Caldwell

When the time came for Scott Kresge of Perry County, Pennsylvania, to decide on a college, the fact that his two older sisters were attending Delaware Valley College was more of a deterrent than an enticement.

“Having sisters there actually made me think that I didn’t want to go [to Delaware Valley College] because I didn’t want to follow in their footsteps,” Scott says. “But I decided that I had to, so I did.”

Scott is the third member of his family to attend Del Val, and he is pursing a degree in agricultural education. Planning to graduate in 2011, Scott would like to become an agricultural teacher as well as an FFA adviser.

His oldest sister Amanda graduated in May 2008 with a degree in dairy science and is currently interning at the Marshak Dairy Farm of the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. Erica, also in dairy science, will graduate in May 2009 and is thinking about returning to the family farm.

An individual decision
Although Scott is happy with the choice he made, he originally had other plans.

“I was actually considering going to a school in New York for engineering,” Scott says. “But my last semester of high school, I really realized how much I had a passion for agriculture, mostly because of my involvement in FFA. I decided I couldn’t deny that passion by going for engineering.”

Once Scott decided on an agricultural school, he had only two options if he wanted to stay in Pennsylvania – Penn State University or Delaware Valley College.

“I’ve never been too excited about going to a college with a lot of people, like Penn State,” Scott says. “Plus, if Del Val is excited about having you as a student, they do a very good job of making the finances fairly equal between them and Penn State.”

Scott believes that the smaller size of the school allows the faculty to be more accessible. He enjoys being able to see professors and department heads on a daily basis.

For his eldest sibling, Amanda, attending Del Val was an “easy decision.” Like her younger brother, she appreciated the tight-knit community and opportunities for hands-on knowledge.

“I really wanted to get my dairy science degree in a small school setting and be able to learn in the barns,” Amanda says. Erica agrees and says that one of the main reasons she chose DVC was because of the independent dairy science major.

Like sisters, like brother
Although Scott set himself apart from his sisters by selecting a different major and becoming involved in the National Agri-Marketing Association, he is quick to point out that he and his sisters’ college experiences are similar in many ways.

“All three of us were in the Dairy Society, the college dairy club,” Scott says.

“Plus, both of my sisters worked on the college dairy farm throughout their college years, and that’s where I’ll be working this year, too.”

Dairy Society adviser Larry Morris says all three Kresge siblings are great students, hardworking and passionate about the dairy industry.

“These three young people are from a very nice family and a great home operation,” Morris says.

Family advice
Despite not being thrilled about following his sisters’ paths, Scott was grateful for the advice they gave. Scott says he appreciated their knowledge regarding the campus, the faculty and how the college worked in general. Scott’s sisters also provided suggestions on adjusting to college life.

“For my birthday the year I graduated high school, Erica gave me a booklet that she entitled something like, ‘A Pocket Guide to a Successful College Experience,’” Scott says. “It was the little things that you don’t think about, like laundry room etiquette and those sort of things that really make the difference.”

Amanda provided plenty of support to her younger siblings, advising them to join clubs and make friends right away. However, she also made sure to give them their freedom.

“I think one of the best things I did for both of my siblings was to give them space to get comfortable on their own,” she says. “That way, they could become established on their own, independent of me.”

Why go to college?
Because Scott has no younger brothers or sisters to continue the Del Val tradition, he has encouraged friends from high school and “anybody with any interest in agriculture whatsoever” to attend. He admits he has a personal bias for his college, but Scott thinks all dairy youth should look into continuing education after high school.

“The dairy industry is moving toward complexity at a fairly rapid pace,” Scott says.

“Just knowing cows is not enough to manage your own farm now.”

For those not able to attend four-year programs, Scott recommends they look into associate degrees or even taking a business course at a local community college. With this new knowledge, Scott believes students will have both the experience of working with cows as well as the skills to handle financial decisions on the farm.

“It used to be you could get away with just being able to make your cows milk really well,” Scott says. “But now, you also have to manage inputs and outputs and cash flow sheets – everything that goes into running a business.”

“It is crucial for young people to continue learning the current technologies in their field,” adds Erica. She also believes that by attending school a bit farther from home, agricultural youth gain a new appreciation for life on the farm. Amanda agrees and thinks that a college education can benefit all youth, regardless of their career goals.

“No matter what the intended vocation, college is good for broadening horizons and teaching self-sufficiency to all people,” Amanda says. PD