Four hundred and seventy-seven alumni of the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Cooperative Real Education in Agriculture Management (CREAM) course (1998-2018) were surveyed regarding experiential learning in a flipped classroom environment. Designed for students in any major, UNH CREAM teaches students to manage, care for and milk a herd of 25 Holstein cows daily for 2 semesters. Students facilitate activities in the classroom, while also developing leadership, teamwork and communication skills through assigned team-based activities and making critical decisions for the herd. Using both open and closed ended questions, responses to the survey came from 220 alumni, comprising 187 women and 33 men. Majors primarily included pre-veterinary medicine (121) and animal science or dairy management (67). Within 24 months of graduation 67 alumni went to veterinary school, 51 to production agriculture, 29 to graduate school and others to work in areas related to agriculture, companion animals and zoo animals as well as human health fields. The highest ranked skills students learned were animal health practices, animal nutrition, cattle handling, reproduction, and milking. The five highest ranked interpersonal skills were teamwork, group decision making, oral communication, leadership, and initiative. Alumni strongly agreed that CREAM’s experiential strategies were effective, provided an understanding of the dairy industry and agreed that the flipped classroom approach was an effective teaching strategy. Alumni agreed problem solving on the farm and participation in the course had an impact on their career. The CREAM program was recognized as being a valuable experience by graduate and veterinary schools.
