Sent on behalf of NAIDC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Josh Hushon
Midwest NAIDC Publicity Chairperson
Phone: (920) 563-5551
Fax: (920) 563-7298
Email: jhushon@hoards.com

Midwest Dairy Challenge Draws 68 Students to South Dakota

The Second Annual Midwest Dairy Challenge attracted 68 students from 10 different universities and colleges to Brookings, S.D., and the campus of South Dakota State University. Both of these numbers are an increase from last year, indicating the growth in interest that the contest is generating.

“This year we were able to provide a valuable learning experience for students from 10 schools across the Midwest,” said Contest Chair Kylie Daniels from ADM. “This was an increase in both the number of schools and students, which really proves how valuable the contest is becoming. Students talked with their peers and sponsors about their contest experiences. Those comments are creating an interest in attending the Dairy Challenge, not only with new students, but with new schools and universities, as well.”

The Dairy Challenge is an innovative competition developed by industry and university professionals exposing students to promote a vibrant future for the dairy industry. Working in four- or five-person, mixed university teams, students assessed all aspects of a working dairy farm and presented recommendations for improvement to a panel of judges and the participating farm families.

This year’s contest was held at the Brookings Inn and hosted by South Dakota State University and ran Jan. 26-28. It included students from Iowa State University, North Dakota State University, Northeast Iowa Community College, Purdue University, Ridgewater College, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and the host school.

After they arrived, students joined their new teammates and participated in team-building exercises, hosted by Eric Reid of the University of Illinois. The activities were designed to foster communication among team members and get them moving around after long travel to the contest. Following this, a panel of area consultants explained how they go about their jobs on a daily basis. The participants were given advice on what to look for when they arrived at the dairy, as well as specific recommendations on how to evaluate the farm’s records.

The next day, students were given two hours to evaluate one of two dairies located in what is known as the I-29 dairy corridor. Hill Top Dairy was one of the first farms to move to the region and began operating in 1998. The dairy is owned by Dr. Howard Whitmore and his former graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Fred Vadhat. The 1,400-cow dairy is managed by Mike Guggisberg. Cows are housed in freestalls and milked in a 40-stall rotary parlor. Milk production has averaged between 85 and 90 pounds over the past seven years, and pregnancy rate is currently 25 percent. The dairy employs 32 people.

The other dairy that students evaluated is Linde Dairy LLC, owned by Rein and Boukje Landman. The couple and their three children moved from the Netherlands in July 2003 and purchased the then sixth-month-old facility. This farm is currently home to 900 head, but plans are underway to expand to more than 1,100. Cows are milked in a double-15 parallel parlor. The Landmans have 12 full-time employees.

After the farm visits, herd owners entertained questions from both students and judges about their farming operations. Armed with detailed production and financial paperwork from the farms, as well as their own observations, the participants developed a presentation about what they saw and suggestions for improvement. Saturday was presentation day as the teams were given 20 minutes to offer their suggestions. This was followed by a question-and-answer session and a critique by the judges of their presentation and recommendations.

Throughout the weekend, participants had several opportunities to network with industry professionals who attended the event. Representatives from many of the platinum sponsors, including several who were looking to hire both interns and full-time employees, were also available during a mock interview session that was held on Saturday.

Judges chose two teams as platinum winners, the contest’s highest distinction. The individuals who comprised these teams are: Iowa State – Sarah Mullen, North Dakota State – Jenny Brown, Northeast Iowa Community College – Kyle Koester, Purdue University – William Harmeyer, Ridgewater College – Brennen Farley, South Dakota State – Mike Lax and Janora Smith, University of Illinois – John Heinsohn, University of Minnesota – Tim Zweber, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls – Adam Ward.

Generous support from corporate sponsors makes NAIDC possible. In 2006, Midwest regional platinum sponsors included: ABS Global, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Dairy Records Management Systems, DairyBusiness Communications, Genex Cooperative Inc., Hoard’s Dairyman, Monsanto Dairy Business, Select Sires Inc., Soy Best, West Central Soy, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition Group, Alltech Inc., Dairy Herd Management, Diamond V Mills, Elanco Animal Health, Pfizer Animal Health and Virtus Nutrition. Gold sponsors included: Alta Genetics, Bou-Matic, Land O'Lakes Purina Feed, Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, Glanbia Foods Inc. and WestfaliaSurge Inc.

The North American Dairy Challenge was established as a management contest to incorporate all phases of a specific dairy business. It strives to incorporate a higher-learning atmosphere with practical application to help prepare students for careers in the dairy industry. Supported financially through generous donations by industry and coordinated by a volunteer board of directors, the first NAIDC was held in April 2002.

For more information on the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, call (608) 224-0400 or visit www.dairychallenge.org.

South Dakota State University / Dairy Science Department
Dairy Microbiology Rm 109 / Phone: 605-688-4116
College of Agricultural and Biological Sciences