Hands-On Learning Students Preserve Complete Cow Skeleton for Future Study

COBLESKILL — Students in SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech’s Department of Animal & Natural Sciences have completed an ambitious hands-on learning project, preserving and assembling an entire cow skeleton, complete with internal organs, to be used as an educational model.

The project began when a polled* Miniature Hereford cow, affectionately known as “Old Cow,” was donated to the College by Thomas and Kimberly Tarvis in memory of Kimberly’s mother, Margaret M. Tarvis. Old Cow was one of Margaret’s favorite animals, and her legacy of generosity and love for farming lives on through this project.

The student team of Amelia Moyer, Alex Empet, Timothy Blesy, Ethan Miller, Jiles Coble, and Lucy Pitoniak, dedicated more than 250 hours to the project, led by faculty advisor Kimberly Tarvis. Together, they carefully prepared, cleaned, preserved, and reassembled the skeleton using a combination of traditional and modern preservation techniques. From humane processing and organ preservation to bone cleaning, whitening, and sealing, each step was completed with scientific precision and respect for the animal.

The result is a full-scale teaching model that allows students to study bovine anatomy in extraordinary detail, at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a comparable model. The estimated savings to the College totals between $50,000 and $75,000, thanks to donated materials and volunteer support.

In addition to serving as a valuable educational tool, the project also contributed to the local community. All meat from the animal was donated to the First Baptist Church Food Distribution Center in Cobleskill, extending the project’s impact beyond the classroom.

“This project gave our students a rare opportunity to learn bovine anatomy through direct, hands-on experience that simply can’t be replicated in a textbook,” said Kimberly Tarvis, faculty advisor. “Watching them work with such care and dedication to honor Old Cow and create something meaningful for future students has been deeply rewarding, and I am proud to see how my family’s love for this animal continues to teach and inspire.”

The completed skeleton, mounted on a custom-built base, now stands as both a teaching resource and a tribute to the students’ dedication, to the people who inspired them, and to Old Cow herself.