North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) has unveiled a new logo to kick-off its second decade. Dairy Challenge celebrated its 10th anniversary at the 2011 national event March 31-April 2 in Hickory, North Carolina. In its first decade, more than 3,000 college students participated in Dairy Challenge through a national contest and four regional events.

This innovative educational program challenges “tomorrow’s dairy leaders” to apply theory and learning to real-world dairy consulting. Students are organized into teams of four to evaluate and develop recommendations for an actual operating dairy.

The two-day contest starts with a walk-through of the dairy, analysis of farm data and a question-answer session with the owners. Then each team develops recommendations for nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, housing and profitability. The teams present recommendations to herd owners, while being evaluated by a panel of five judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians and industry personnel.

Through its first decade, Dairy Challenge has had significant impact on the dairy industry. In the past four regional events, more than 400 students participated from 52 schools, including four-year universities and two-year technical schools. The 10th annual national contest in 2011 attracted 127 college students from 30 schools across the U.S. and Canada. At least 100 dairy farms have gained management input from Dairy Challenge students, coaches and judges. PD

—From Dairy Challenge news release