Internship Experience Sparked Chelsey Woerner to Start Her Own Lamb-Producing Business
Freshman Chelsey Woerner is like many Wilmington College students that have gained greater insight into their academic interests through a hands-on learning opportunity.
(PICTURED) Freshman Chelsey Woerner speaks about her internship with Achor Club Lambs at the April 28 forum of internship presentations on campus.
Internships and the other occasions for practical learning are a hallmark of a Wilmington College education. They often provide potential employers with proof of valuable experience that graduates gained while in college — experience that makes an impressive bullet point on resumes and serves to facilitate conversations in an interview setting.
Woerner took her internship experience to the nth degree by starting her own business.
An agriculture/animal science major from Scottown in Gallia County, Woerner was an agriculture intern this spring with Achor Club Lambs in Martinsville, which she described as “nationally recognized and known as one of the best breeders in the state.” The company, which has some 400 ewes that annually produce up to 700 lambs, markets the animals to members of 4-H clubs and Future Farmers of America planning to show at fairs and in other competitions.
Achor involved Woerner with numerous aspects of the business: delivering lambs, tagging them, giving injections, banding and castrating, feeding and watering, and monitoring animal nutrition.
She went into the internship knowing this summer would be her final showing lambs — she’s all of 19 years old — yet she wishes to continue her involvement with what has been both an enjoyable and educational activity. Woerner is going to raise club lambs to market to those using them in competitions.
“Since this will be my last year showing competitively, being able to raise lambs for competitions is a very good alternative,” she said. “Now that I’ve done this internship, I know a lot about the business and am anxious to try it out for myself.”
Woerner dove right into the business world. She applied for and received a youth loan from Farm Service Agency, which funded the purchase of some sheep and equipment. She is building her own feeders this summer.
She purchased a breeding ram for $3,500 and expects to start with at least 15 ewes this summer. Her lambs will go on sale immediately following the lambing season in March. By March 2018, she anticipated having as many as 25 lambs to sell.
“I like the idea of being an entrepreneur,” she said.
