ABOUT MINER INSTITUTE

OUR MISSION

Research

Miner Institute conducts practical research on the dairy-crop interface, equine reproduction and management, and environmental conservation. Its research activities combine a global perspective with a regional application.

Education

Miner Institute offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs in dairy and field crop science, equine management, and environmental conservation. The Institute provides meetings, workshops, and residential undergraduate and graduate programs in cooperation with a number of regional colleges and universities.

Demonstration

Miner Institute demonstrates the best practices in dairy farming, equine management, and environmental conservation through its dairy, crops, equine, and field and forestry operations and through outreach activities in the region.

Vision

We envision a vital agricultural community in northern New York and surrounding regions built on effective use of forage crops and management technologies that optimize animal production and well-being while sustaining the natural environment, particularly in the fragile Champlain Basin.

Values

We highly value the Miner tradition of high quality agricultural programs serving northern New York needs, conducted by a talented and diverse staff in a beautiful historical setting. We especially value applying the latest technological innovations to improve agricultural profitability and sustainability in the tradition of William Miner.

Uniqueness

Unlike other agricultural educational institutions, Miner Institute uses its farm, facilities, and staff to conduct fully integrated education, research, and demonstration programs rather than treating them as separate and unequal functions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Summer Experience in Agricultural Research The work experience for Agricultural Research students will include learning research techniques and processes in a variety of areas including nutrient management, dairy cattle nutrition, agronomy, reproductive physiology of dairy cattle and horses, and dairy cattle behavior. Forage quality assessment procedures will be taught in Miner Institute’s Forage Laboratory. Students may also gain work experience in the dairy research facility: feeding cows for individual feed intakes, measuring in situ digestibilities in ruminally cannulated cows, milk sampling, urine/fecal sampling, blood sampling, and assessing dairy cattle behavior. Learn more here: Summer Experiences | Miner Institute (whminer.org) Summer Experience in Equine Management The emphasis of this program is the management of a commercial equine facility and improved horse handling and training skills. Students will learn ground training techniques including halter breaking, lungeing, longlining, and ground driving. The versatility of the Morgan and varied ages and abilities of horses at Miner Institute allow for students to experience many different disciplines to varying degrees: saddleseat, huntseat, dressage, western pleasure and driving. Students become proficient at stallion handling, semen collection, and processing as well as broodmare management. Learn more here: Summer Experiences | Miner Institute (whminer.org) Summer Experience in Farm Management Work Experience for Farm Management students includes milking, herd health, calves, and a variety of field work activities such as tillage, planting, and harvest. The students fit and show a string of dairy cattle at the local county fair. The Summer Experience in Farm Management introduces students to the modern farm as a business, which has as its objective the conversion of plants into milk and meat. Learn more here: Summer Experiences | Miner Institute (whminer.org) Water Quality Research Students will learn about all phases of Miner Institute's nutrient management research program which aims to identify agricultural best management practices that enhance soil and water quality while maintaining farm profitability. Students will gain experience in all aspects of the research process including soil and water sample collection, field data acquisition, field equipment maintenance/programming, laboratory instrumentation/analytical methods, as well as basic data management and application. Students will participate in a variety of research trials as well as conduct their own independent research project. Learn more here: Summer Experiences | Miner Institute (whminer.org) Burke History Burke History Interns will work independently and within a small team at The Alice T. Miner Museum and Miner Institute to organize and promote community events and/or projects that help to preserve history relevant to the Miners and/or help to plan and organize new exhibits for The Heart's Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit or The Alice T. Miner Museum. Interns will be given some latitude in choosing projects to work on based on their personal interests and what is happening at Miner Institute and The Alice T. Miner Museum. Learn more here: Summer Experiences | Miner Institute (whminer.org)