Carter Moore with one of his current calves, Woody.
Carter Moore remembers visiting his grandfather’s house every Thanksgiving and being most excited to see the Dexter cow farm.
When Moore’s family moved near his grandparents’ house back in 2020, he got the opportunity to get his own cows and follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. He started his own cow operation, which later became his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) when he later joined the Sugar-Salem FFA Chapter in Idaho as a freshman.
“I knew I wanted cows when I realized how much joy they brought me,” Moore says. “I have this feeling when I’m around my cows that brings me peace and helps me get away from the worries of the world.”
Moore started his SAE in 2021 when he got his first Jersey cow, Penelope. He buys four calves from a local dairy that his cow will raise until they’re fully weaned. After the calves are about six to 12 months old, Moore will sell them and then repeat this process two to three times a year. Throughout the past three years, Moore has raised a total of 14 calves and one cow.
Improvement Through Hardship
With joys in agriculture come discomforts. Moore has seen plenty of these such as his calves getting sick and his cow suffering from mastitis. He’s been able to better his project by being efficient in preventing diseases and healing his animals. Through these struggles, he found a passion for veterinary work. He plans to use the funds from his SAE project to go to vet school.
“Seeing my calves so weak was so upsetting for me,” Moore says. “Once I helped them the best I could, they became so happy and strong and made me realize that I’d want to be a part of something like that in my future.”
Carter Moore with his first cow, Penelope, and her calf, Phineas.
Moore has also improved his operation by hand-selecting the genetics he will breed his cow with. The main gene he breeds for is the A2A2 Milk Beta Casein gene. Cows with this gene produce milk that some people with lactose intolerance can have and be unaffected by.
He also received a National FFA SAE Grant in 2023 to improve his SAE. He used this grant to help with expenses such as buying calves, feed and more.
“My grandpa has also been a huge supporter of my SAE,” Moore says. “He has helped me with every aspect of my project and I’m very thankful for him. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”
Looking for more ideas to kick-start your SAE project? Find videos here.
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