For 130 dairy students, their involvement in the Cornell's Dairy Science Club (CUDS) has taken them far beyond Ithaca's livestock facilities -- to Germany and Italy.

Every other year, the student organization -- one of Cornell's largest -- sends its members abroad during school breaks to experience agricultural practices in other cultures. The group's underclassmen traditionally travel to Italy, while this year, the upperclassmen chose Germany as their destination.

"The biggest take-away was the diversity in how farming is done throughout the world," said Jennifer Simpson '11, who traveled to Italy. "The weather is different, and the culture is different, so, of course, the way of farming is different."

"We are informed of European policies, which we can then compare to agricultural policies in the U.S.," Allison Lawton '11, added. "Going abroad allows us the opportunity to observe different viewpoints and issues about the dairy industry in other countries."

According to CUDS President Sam Fessenden '11, the goal of each student trip depends on the country or region to be visited.

"The Italy trip focuses on cheese because the northern region of Italy (Parma and Po River Valley) is primarily cheese production," said Fessenden. "The Germany trip was focused primarily on technology because Germany is the major producer of dairy and high tech equipment."

This year, the weeklong Italy trip last January began in Tuscany, where students visited sheep and cow farms as well as cheese producers. For many, the highlight wasn't the quick stop in Florence to see the Duomo or Uffizi art gallery, but rather a visit to the nearby countryside.

"My favorite part of the trip was when we traveled to Parma, a region made famous by its production of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and prosciutto," said Tedra McDougal '11. "We went to a small plant where we learned about the steps in the cheese-making process. The master cheesemaker, a man who has spent years in an apprenticeship to earn this honorary title, taps each wheel of cheese with a hammer. Just by listening to the sound, he can determine if it is good enough to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano or if it will be sold under a generic name."

The group stopped frequently to sample local fare and met wine and olive oil producers before making a final stop in Rome.

For the upperclassman who traveled to Germany during spring break, the trip itinerary centered on farm management and cutting-edge technology in the agriculture industry. Students went to Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Bremen, stopping to visit such historical landmarks as the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and agricultural attractions.

Among the industry-related stops on the nine-day trip was a visit to the Förster-Technik plant, the largest producer of calf feeders, which has an automated nutrient distribution. The students' itinerary also focused on biogas systems, which produce energy from manure and organic waste.

CUDS holds fundraisers to help supplement the cost of the trips, including its annual New York State Holstein Harvest Sale, where students host 110 "high-end" cattle in the Livestock Pavilion on campus for a week and then auction them off, keeping a portion of the proceeds.

This year's sale, held Oct. 23, brought in $361,350, with the cattle selling for an average price of $3,200 each. The most expensive went for $36,500. Of that, CUDS kept about $11,500.

To find out more about the CUDS organization, including the fundraisers and educational outreach programs they hold throughout the year, visit http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/students/CUDS/.

Molly Cronin '11 is an intern at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.