Optimism for the dairy industry’s future filled the convention center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where 264 college students gathered to improve skills, network and learn about careers and industry innovation. The national Dairy Challenge held April 3-5 attracted students from 37 colleges in 25 states and three Canadian provinces.

“Dairy Challenge truly showcases cooperation of farmers, agribusinesses and academia, working together to train future leaders and promote agricultural careers,” said Dr. Maurice Eastridge, 2014 event chairman and professor at The Ohio State University.

The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) allows dairy students to apply theory and learning on a real-world dairy farm while working as part of a team.

In Fort Wayne, two programs ran concurrently – the 13th annual Dairy Challenge contest and the second annual Dairy Challenge Academy. The events were coordinated by the NAIDC board of directors and staff from the host universities, Purdue University, Michigan State University and The Ohio State University.

The 2014 contest included 32 universities, each with four students on their university team competing for awards. The academy provided interactive training in dairy farm evaluation for 138 students, generally underclassmen at four-year universities or students in two-year dairy programs.

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Academy participants were divided into smaller groups, mixing students from various colleges and their work was guided by agribusiness volunteers and university professionals.

“Thanks to support from industry and attending colleges,the second annual Dairy Challenge Academy grew to 145 students and 38 academy advisors, up from 90 students last year,” said Dr. Mike van Amburgh, NAIDC chairman and professor at Cornell University.

“Our long-term goal is 200 students … which we hope to achieve at the 2015 event in Syracuse, New York. The academy allows a broader range of students to participate, integrates professionals and sponsors directly with students, and provides enhanced learning and networking while conducting a dairy farm business analysis.”

Academy applies learning to a real-world dairy
Over its 13-year history, Dairy Challenge has helped more than 4,500 students prepare for careers in the dairy industry, dairy production and veterinary medicine.

“Dairy Challenge has provided a splendid opportunity for our students to integrate what they learn in classes with real-world situations, use problem-solving skills and network with leaders in the dairy industry,” said Eastridge.

The three-day event began with a presentation on getting started in farming by Gary Matteson of The Farm Credit Council, the lead sponsor of Dairy Challenge. Next, a panel of young producers shared insights on joining a family farm business.

The morning concluded with inspiration and tips to speak out for agriculture, provided by Amy te Plate-Church of Cooperative Resources International, Raechel Sattazahn of AgChoice Farm Credit, Kimmi Devaney of Indiana Department of Agriculture, and Jolene Griffin of Dairy Management Inc.

Next, students, industry specialists and educators worked in small groups at Bridgewater Dairy of Montpelier, Ohio, to learn how to evaluate specifics like milking protocols, calf care, reproduction and other management areas. The first evening, each group received data from an operating dairy to analyze and provide recommendations for improvement.

Day Two included a thorough visit to the assigned dairy and question-answer session with farm owners. All groups – in both contest and Academy – developed recommendations for nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, cow comfort and financial management.

On Day Three, students presented their recommendations, visited with sponsor companies at the Career and Innovation Fair, and heard Corporate Technology Presentations from top-level NAIDC sponsors.

In the contest, college team presentations were evaluated by a panel of five judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians, farm finance specialists and industry personnel. All students, coaches, volunteers and sponsors joined together to celebrate at Saturday evening’s banquet.

Eight college teams earn top awards
In the contest, first-place awards were earned by California Polytechnic State University, Cornell University, The Pennsylvania State University and University of Guelph. Each first-place student received a $200 scholarship.

Five dairy farms opened up their farms for analysis and in exchange, received a wealth of ideas from students and judges. Host farms for the 2014 Dairy Challenge were:

  • Beer Dairy Inc.,Fred, Jeff and Regg Beer, Milford, Indiana
  • Perkins Twin Creek Dairy Farm Inc., Jim, Rod, Kirk, Todd and Eric Perkins, Wolcottville, Indiana
  • Sun Mountain Dairy, Kent and Ted Sonnenberg, New Bavaria, Ohio
  • Blue Stream Dairy, managed by Jon Morrison, Convoy, Ohio
  • Bloom Dairy Inc., Doug and Bruce Bloom, Coldwater, Michigan

“Dairy Challenge is an amazing program that is truly accomplished through many talented people that form a very functional team,” Eastridge said.

“The success of the 2014 Dairy Challenge was possible through tremendous support of the participating dairy farms and their families in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan; the time and financial support from allied dairy businesses; and dairy product donations by dairy processors in the three-state area. Dairy professionals from across the U.S. assisted as contest judges and academy educators.” PD

—From World Dairy Expo news release