Below are Ms. Palmer’s answers:
There are so many highlights to this career. Getting to work with some of the most incredible clients in an industry I was raised in, seeing some of the most elite cattle in the country, working with my best friend, traveling, and getting to see the results of our hard work at shows, in the pastures, or in the dairy barns.
Like any career, there are always challenges. IVF is messing with Mother Nature, and as much as we would like it to be a perfect science, it isn’t. It’s never ideal to give poor results to clients, even when it is out of anyone’s control. Another challenge is logistics. There are so many moving parts, and so much equipment needed to achieve success, that we have to be thinking multiple steps ahead at all times.
In a way, I have been involved in this career since I was a kid. My family utilized artificial insemination and conventional embryo transfer work in our own herd since I was young, and I have always been interested in cattle reproduction since then. I showed cattle through 4-H, went to college for animal science/ag business, worked for livestock shows and breed associations, and eventually ended up back in the reproduction side of the industry. I have worked for Trans Ova Genetics for 5 years, Reprologix for 1 year, and have now joined Cassie with her own company.
This career is a very niche career, and I feel that a lot of people may misunderstand what exactly it is that we do, or why we do it. We help producers multiply their most elite genetics in a very short amount of time, to help continue the progression of genetics. Whether it’s show/market donor, breeding donor, or a dairy donor, the IVF technology helps make more or the chosen animals to increase the overall average quality. This helps beef producers create more beef with less resources, dairies produce more milk, and the show ring to keep current with the trends. With embryo transfer and IVF, donors can produce their entire life’s calf crop in just a couple collections.
I have a Bachelor’s in Animal Science and Ag/Resource Economics. While a degree in a similar field can be extremely helpful, real-life hands-on experience is a huge advantage. A formal college education is great for a solid base of understanding the science. But going through different experiences, challenges, and highs and lows of actual production has taught me so much and has continued to increase my knowledge and understanding.
Issued in furtherance of extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mandy Marney, Director, University of Wyoming Extension, College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming Extension, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071.
The University of Wyoming is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
© 2025 Wyoming 4-H. All rights reserved.
Amber Armajo
University of Wyoming Extension 4-H/Youth Educator – Washakie County
Phone: (307) 347-3431
Email: amwall@uwyo.edu
PO Box 609
1200 Culbertson Ave, Suite G
Worland, WY 82401
Amber Armajo
University of Wyoming Extension 4-H/Youth Educator – Washakie County
Phone: (307) 347-3431
Email: amwall@uwyo.edu
PO Box 609
1200 Culbertson Ave, Suite G
Worland, WY 82401
© 2023 Wyoming 4-H
