Southwest Tech Spotlight: Karsen Haag
Southwest Tech Spotlight: Karsen Haag
Growing up with her older brother, Kody, on the family dairy farm outside of Mt. Horeb, it didn’t take long for Karsen to fall in love with everything about the dairy farm.
“When I was little, I got to choose whether I went to Pre-K in the morning or afternoon. I chose the afternoon class in a heartbeat so that I could stay and “help” dad with the morning chores. I think I was out feeding calves when the bottle was still almost bigger than I was.”
Karsen continued learning about dairy cows once she could start showing at nine years old. One calf in particular grew close to her heart.
“Cassie was my baby and I loved to spoil her. She was born March 14, 2005 and was my best show cow all the way through my senior year when she passed away. She was very friendly and had an all-black head that looked really cute. She was such a good calf to start with and was always my favorite project.”
As a high school student at Mt. Horeb, Karsen was involved in softball and basketball. She also enjoyed participating in DECA for one year and had a great learning experience. Karsen favorite high school activity, however, was FFA.
“In FFA, I was involved in a lot of dairy judging and speech activities. I think both of these helped prepare me for where I’m at now and where I plan to be in the future. Dairy judging taught me so much about what to look for in a good dairy cow, while speech really built my self-confidence.”
In 2012 as a high school senior, Karsen knew that she had to stay involved in dairy farming. She decided to attend a local university and major in Agribusiness.
“I had a rough first semester at the University. My roommate and I could not get along, I was stressed, and overwhelmed. At the beginning of the second semester, I was involved in a bad accident which left me in braces for a while. So, I took a break from classes.”
During that break, Karsen attended a class discussing herd health at Southwest Tech with her dad. The instructor was Jeff Dornick, a friend of her dad’s and Southwest Tech’s Dairy Herd Management instructor.
“I was captivated with the hands-on teaching style Jeff displayed. He would give scenarios and ask what we would do in the various situations. After the class, we talked and I realized that Southwest Tech’s Dairy Herd Management program would be a great fit for me. It was hands-on, close to home, and I just felt right at home here. Honestly, I was very ready to start over somewhere new.;”
Karsen was accepted as an Individualized Technical Studies (ITS) student. This allowed her to combine the one-year Dairy Herd Management program with the two-year Agribusiness/Science Technology program to complete both in only two years.
“I have really loved my time at Southwest Tech. During my first year, we went on field trips each week to visit various dairy farms. We toured so many farms, from small to gigantic, from parlors to stanchions, we even toured a water buffalo farm! I also participated in a National Dairy Judging contest in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a great learning experience and I was excited to place 4th in one of the competitions.”
Karsen also participated in the Midwest Dairy Challenge in Sioux, Iowa. Here, 80 students from both universities and 2-year colleges were split into teams to evaluate a chosen farm and present a business plan discussing all aspects of operations, even financial aspects, to the panel of judges. Karsen’s team placed first in this event.
“Participating in all of these events and tours, as well as Postsecondary Agricultural Students (PAS) was such a great learning experience for me. I have definitely improved my skills.”
After graduation, all of Karsen’s credits will transfer to UW-Platteville where she plans to complete her bachelor’s degree with a double major in Agribusiness and Animal Science.
“I hope to finish my education, gain some experience working on a large dairy, and then return home to take over the dairy aspect of my parent’s farm. Kody loves working with the crops and fields so it should work out well.”
Karsen especially loves red and white Holsteins and hopes to expand the family herd in that area. She is excited to become even more involved in the farm life.
“As an adopted child, I feel like the childhood I experienced was such a gift. I never would be here if it weren’t for my wonderful parents. They took me into their family as a baby and are the ones who introduced me to dairy cows and the farm life. Now, my cows are my babies. I love to spoil them and I can’t imagine my life without them!”
On the weekends, Karsen spends her time shooting archery, playing softball or basketball, and working with her show heifers. She also enjoys cooking.