Seventeen 4-H and FFA dairy project members from across Illinois took part in the 2011 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award (SYDPA) program on Aug. 20 at the Illinois State Fair. “The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the dairy industry,” said Dave Fischer, retired University of Illinois Extension dairy educator.

This three-phase competition, emphasizing the youths’ knowledge of the dairy industry, awarded each of the top five overall participants with a $1,000 scholarship sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland of Decatur, Illinois.

The 2011 scholarship recipients are Morgan Bollech of Kingston, Illinois; Emily Irwin of Belvidere, Illinois; Dylan Reed of Beecher City, Illinois; Sarah Sheehan of Huntley, Illinois; and Macy Wendling of Altamont, Illinois.

Individual plaques were awarded to the top three in each phase and the top five overall winners. The Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association and Illinois State Fair sponsored the plaques.

The first phase of the contest was a dairy management test relating to dairy nutrition, health, reproduction, milk marketing, and other dairy-related information. The top three contestants in the management test were Bollech, Ryan Sheehan of Huntley, Illinois, and Sarah Sheehan.

The second phase was a three-station skill-a-thon on various aspects of the dairy industry. Contestants identified dairy feeds, interpreted dairy pedigrees, and identified dairy equipment. The top three contestants in the skill-a-thon were Kaleb Hoerbert of Delavan, Illinois, Irwin and Reed.

The third phase was a judging contest. The judging phase consisted of animal selection by placing four classes of dairy cows and two classes of heifers. The top three contestants in the judging contest were Amanda Hartman of Waterloo, Illinois; Hoerbert and Jonathon Weekley of Trenton, Illinois.

This year marked the 16th consecutive year for the Superior Young Dairy Producer Award Program, which has provided $80,000 in college scholarships to Illinois youth since its inception in 1996. Participants must be 4-H or FFA dairy project members in Illinois. The program is developed and coordinated by Dave Fischer. PD

—From University of Illinois news release