Excitement for the future of the dairy industry was evident among attendees of the national Dairy Challenge, held April 9-11, 2015 in Syracuse, NY. The event brought together 274 college students to improve skills, network and learn about careers and industry innovation. Students represented 38 colleges in 29 states and three Canadian provinces.
“Dairy Challenge is a premier dairy industry event, providing education, communication and networking among students, producers and agribusiness and university personnel,” explained Barry Putnam of Cargill Animal Nutrition and the Northeast Dairy Challenge committee.
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 Syracuse, two programs ran concurrently – the 14th annual Dairy Challenge contest and the third annual Dairy Challenge Academy. The events were coordinated by the NAIDC Board of Directors and the Northeast Dairy Challenge committee.
The 2015 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 146 students, generally underclassmen at four-year universities or students in two-year dairy programs. Academy participants were divided into smaller groups, mixing students from various colleges, and their work was guided by Academy Advisors – agribusiness volunteers and academic professionals.
Dairy Challenge Applies Learning to a Real-world Dairy
Over its 14-year history, Dairy Challenge has helped more than 4,700 students prepare for careers in the dairy industry, dairy production and veterinary medicine.
“Dairy Challenge provides an outstanding 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 Devin Albrecht, of Prairie State/Select Sires and NAIDC board chairman.
The three-day event began with a tour at Spring Hope Dairy in Clifton Springs, NY, where students, industry specialists and educators worked together at learning stations on milking protocols, reproduction, feeding management and other areas. The day also included two panel discussions. One panel was a group of processors that provided a perspective on their businesses and how they interact with producers. Processor panelists included Mike Davis of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., Kevin Ellis of Cayuga Milk Ingredients, Terra Jackson of Chobani, Tom Murray of Muranda Cheese Company and Amie Thomas of Dairy Farmers of America. Next, a panel of young producers shared insights on starting or entering a dairy operation. Producer panelists were Ryan Clark of Windy Lane Jerseys in Tyrone, Pa., Jordan Fisher of Mapleview Dairy LLC in Madrid, NY; Luke Getty of Ideal Dairy Farms in Hudson Falls, NY; and Jessica Slaymaker of Slaymaker Farm in Mansfield, Pa. The day concluded with each group receiving data from a dairy to analyze and provide recommendations for improvement.
Day Two included a thorough farm 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. These talks were presented by:
- Amanda Wright, DVM, Animal Health International
- Chris Canale, Ph.D., Cargill Animal Nutrition
- Nick Hamauer, Cooperative Resources International
- Corey Kayhart, Farm Credit East
- Jeff Tikofsky, M.S., Purina Animal Nutrition
- Norm Vincel, Select Sire Power
In the contest, the college team presentations were evaluated by a panel of five judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians, farm finance specialists and agribusiness 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, University of Guelph, University of Tennessee and Washington State University. Each first-place student received a $200 scholarship.
