Sunny Fresno, California, served as the location for the 2011 Western Regional Dairy Challenge, held March 3-5. Six universities were represented, with 56 total students participating. Many university and extension professionals, as well as local industry representatives, volunteered their time to serve as coaches, judges and coordinators for the three-day event.
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Students kicked off the event with a team building activity on Thursday evening at the Picadilly Inn—Airport hotel, led by Charlene McLaughlin of Elanco Animal Health. McLaughlin discussed the four types of learners: visual, auditory, intuitive and feelers. Participants were encouraged to discover which category they fell into, and how that affected how they communicated with others.
This was a valuable activity because during the regional Dairy Challenge events, students are assigned to teams intended to allow them to interact with participants from other universities. Many team members met for the first time on the first day of the event. At the National competition, schools will compete against one another.
Following the team building activity, teams were provided with record information on the host farm — Diamond H Dairy in Chowchilla, California, owned by Greg and Jennifer Hooker.
Students were up bright and early the following morning to observe Diamond H Dairy in person. Participants assessed all aspects of the farm, including the milking parlor, feeding program and calf and heifer raising protocols.
After their evaluation, all teams were able to participate in a question-and-answer session, with a panel of four leaders at Diamond H —the farm’s owner (Greg Hooker), veterinarian, nutritionist and herdsman.
One team inquired whether or not Hooker planned to build a commodity barn for feed storage.
“Through expansion, you have to make choices on what you’re going to spend your next dollar on,” Hooker explained. “A commodity barn hasn’t yet made it to the top of the list.”
Students then returned to the hotel to put together their PowerPoint presentations for the following morning. That evening, participants were able to interact with sponsors of the event at dinner.
Chris Dei of Diamond V, who helps to manage the finances for the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, a non-profit organization, issued a new challenge to the students. He encouraged them to give back to the program — particularly after they graduate and obtain careers in the industry — through donations and volunteering their time.
Casino night following the dinner provided the students with a chance to unwind and network with one another.
The final day was presentation day, and team members spent the morning presenting their findings to a panel of judges, which included Bud Keister with Cargill Animal Nutrition; Henry Tevelde, JVJ Dairies; Michael DeGroot with DeGroot Dairy Consulting; Claudio Ribeiro with Western Milling; Brian Mitchell with J.D. Heiskell & Company; Chad Wright with Walco Vet Outlet; and Scott Tripp with DHI- Provo.
The highest-placing teams were as follows:
Receiving Platinum awards were:
Philip deVries - Washington State University, Jami Lady - California State University Fresno, Heather Fleck - University of Alberta, Jennifer Trice - Washington State University, Tyler Reynolds - University of Idaho
Receiving Gold awards were:
Edward DeJager - California State University Fresno, Keliesha Roth - University of Alberta, Jeff Blickenstaff - University of Idaho, Everet Leyendekker - California State University Fresno, Nicole Hoff - Texas A&M University.
The 2011 National Dairy Challenge will be held March 31-April 2 in Hickory, North Carolina. Visit www.dairychallenge.org for more information, including how to get involved as a sponsor. PD
Click a link below to see more coverage from the 2010-2011 Dairy Challenge events:
2011 Midwest Dairy Challenge: Producer feedback
Midwest Dairy Challenge draws more than 65 students to Menomonie, Wisconsin
Thanks to Dairy Challenge, non-ag student now proud part of dairy industry
2010 Southern Dairy Challenge: Producer feedback
Mississippi hosts Southern Regional Dairy Challenge
2010 Northeast Dairy Challenge: Producer feedback
114 attend Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge
