Milkshakes fuel a global learning opportunity

You can’t learn about an industry as fundamental to human civilization as dairy by staying at home.

That’s why 23 students in the Dairy Club at Virginia Tech traveled over 3,500 miles this spring to explore agriculture across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and the cattle-breed birthplace islands of Guernsey and Jersey.

Their trip was funded in part by milkshakes, which the Dairy Club – a student organization within the School of Animal Sciences – has sold at Virginia Tech football games and basketball games for nearly 25 years.

What began as a fundraising effort has become a key part of the club's ability to offer transformative, real-world learning opportunities to its members. This past year, club members sold 10,600 milkshakes during the football season and 5,000 during basketball games.

"The Dairy Club can offer this opportunity to students because of the success of our milkshake sales,” said Gage Kelly ’25, who graduated with a degree in dairy science and served as the club president. “Our hard work enables members to not only see other parts of the world, but also gives us a chance to understand how the agriculture industry operates outside of the United States.”

The seven-day trip began with an excursion to the Isles of Guernsey and Jersey. These isles, rich in history and charm, are also the original homes of the Guernsey and Jersey cattle breeds.

For agribusiness major Mary Beth Collette, who grew up raising Guernsey cows, the trip was a journey into her agricultural heritage.

“Visiting Guernsey and Jersey was very special to me,” Collette said. “Seeing where the breeds my family has raised come from was powerful.”

In Guernsey, students toured a dairy plant that processes only Guernsey milk — a tight-knit system made more complex by the island’s reliance on imported feed. On the Isle of Jersey, they connected directly with the cows that gave the breed its name.

The group’s journey continued through the green pastures of Ireland and the rugged Highlands of Scotland. At every stop, students explored how local practices compared to U.S. systems — from direct-to-packer beef sales in Scotland to barley farming integrated into beer production at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse.

“Seeing how brewing and agriculture are tied together was a surprise,” Collette said.

In Northern Ireland, students visited Glenshane Country Farm, where they watched whistle-trained sheepdogs in action and held lambs. At a Highland cattle farm, they encountered the shaggy, iconic breed in its cold, mountainous homeland.

From there, they traveled north to Dungiven and visited a dairy farm where cows grazed on expansive green pastures and watched a sheepdog demonstration near Maghera, where dogs responded to whistle commands to herd sheep.

“Each dog had its own set of commands,” Collette said. “It was really cool to see how well they worked together.”

Crossing into Scotland, the group visited a beef cattle farm near Loch Lomond, where students learned about a direct-to-packer sales system that cuts out middlemen — quite different from the stockyard auctions of the U.S.

“Cattle are bigger in the United States,” Collette said. “I think we get a little more per pound of milk, and it made me appreciate how we do things.”

After visiting a Highland cattle farm, the group toured a dairy farm in Kinross to see Ayrshire cows — another breed with American connections, which debuted in the U.S. in 1822 when they were imported to Connecticut. Students learned that the farm has close ties with U.S. breeders and regularly exchanges embryos and genetics.

The journey concluded in the historic city of Edinburgh, where the group explored cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, experienced the local culture, and even stumbled upon a farmers market.

"Traveling abroad to Ireland and Scotland was an unforgettable experience,” said Abby Johnson, a first-generation student majoring in agricultural and applied economics. “Touring dairy and beef farms abroad gave me a global perspective on agriculture and helped me see firsthand how other countries approach the industry differently. I’m excited to bring what I learned back to my family's beef operation at home. It was both humbling and inspiring, and reminded me why I am so passionate about this industry.”

For dairy science major and club vice president Abby Greenwood, the experience was a meaningful capstone to her time at Virginia Tech.

“This trip was such a fun way to end my time with the Dairy Club and make even more memories for me before graduating this spring,” she said. “I learned a lot during this trip, and it was made possible by the club.”

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