Person

Caitlin Samantha Zaring

Graduate Research Assistant | Animal Science

Specialization: Value-Added Dairy

Overview

I received my Associate's degree in 2018 before transferring to the University of Tennessee, where I received my BS in Animal Science in 2020 and my MS in Animal Science with an Agricultural and Resource Economics minor in 2022. I work with dairy farms that process their milk into salable dairy products sold directly to consumers, also called value-added dairy or farmstead dairy. During my master's degree, I worked to survey Tennessee value-added dairies and used this information to develop an understanding of what the niche market of value-added dairies looks like in Tennessee. Additionally, I surveyed Tennessee dairy product consumers to discover what they would be willing to pay for bottled milk with different attributes from value-added dairy operations. Finally, I developed an economic decision-making tool for dairy farmers wanting to start a value-added dairy operation bottling milk. I have continued this research while pursuing my Ph.D. in Animal Science. I am expanding my consumer research across Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina to discover what consumers want to pay for value-added dairy products with specific attributes within their respective states. I am furthering the decision-making tool to a more user-friendly tool and adding a section for processing cheese.

Research Focus

Value-Added Dairy Enterprises, Consumer's Desires for Farmstead Milk, Economics

Research Questions
  • My research looks at value-added dairies from both the processor and the consumer side.
Picture of Caitlin Samantha Zaring
Brehm Animal Science Building
2506 River Dr
Knoxville, TN 37996
Education and Training
  • MS, Animal Sciences, General, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2022
  • BS, Animal Science, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2020
  • AS, Biology, Roane State Community College, 2018
Web Presence

Caitlin Samantha Zaring

Graduate Research Assistant | Animal Science
Picture of Caitlin Samantha Zaring image
Brehm Animal Science Building
2506 River Dr
Knoxville, TN 37996
Education and Training
  • MS, Animal Sciences, General, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2022
  • BS, Animal Science, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2020
  • AS, Biology, Roane State Community College, 2018
Overview

I received my Associate's degree in 2018 before transferring to the University of Tennessee, where I received my BS in Animal Science in 2020 and my MS in Animal Science with an Agricultural and Resource Economics minor in 2022. I work with dairy farms that process their milk into salable dairy products sold directly to consumers, also called value-added dairy or farmstead dairy. During my master's degree, I worked to survey Tennessee value-added dairies and used this information to develop an understanding of what the niche market of value-added dairies looks like in Tennessee. Additionally, I surveyed Tennessee dairy product consumers to discover what they would be willing to pay for bottled milk with different attributes from value-added dairy operations. Finally, I developed an economic decision-making tool for dairy farmers wanting to start a value-added dairy operation bottling milk. I have continued this research while pursuing my Ph.D. in Animal Science. I am expanding my consumer research across Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina to discover what consumers want to pay for value-added dairy products with specific attributes within their respective states. I am furthering the decision-making tool to a more user-friendly tool and adding a section for processing cheese.

Research Focus

Value-Added Dairy Enterprises, Consumer's Desires for Farmstead Milk, Economics

Research Questions
  • My research looks at value-added dairies from both the processor and the consumer side.
Web Presence