SIOUX FALLS, SD – Students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences took second place at the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, held April 12 – 14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Dairy Challenge is an applied dairy management competition that requires students to analyze a commercial farm and present their observations and management recommendations to a panel of industry professionals. Judges include dairy producers, veterinarians, farm finance specialists and agribusiness personnel. Nine teams of four students compete against each other in four contest divisions.
Over 144 students from 36 teams completed on-farm analysis, with just two hours to visit and observe the farm’s operation. After a question-and-answer session with the farm owners and advisors, the student teams developed recommendations for nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, cow comfort, and labor and financial management.
The UW–Madison team included:
- Ava Dragosh: Tomahawk, WI (Senior – Dairy Science)
- Derek Gehin: Baraboo, WI (Junior – Agronomy & Agricultural Business Management)
- Jenna Gries: Manitowoc, WI (Senior – Dairy Science)
- Clarissa Ulness: Valders, WI (Senior – Dairy Science)
They were coached by Eric Ronk, Teaching Faculty I, along with support from current and recently retired faculty/staff in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science.
The team was in Division C and analyzed Moody Count Dairy in Sherman, SD. The farm milks 4,800 cows and raises 4,200 youngstock and 1,200 beef crossbreds at their facilities. In Division C, the University of Minnesota placed first. Other teams that competed on this farm were the University of New Hampshire, Dordt University, Utah State University, the University of Georgia, SUNY Cobleskill, the University of Mount Olive, and an aggregate team made of up students from Cornell, SUNY Morrisville, and North Carolina A&T State University.
In addition, Garrett Ulness of Valders, WI (Junior – Dairy Science) participated in the Dairy Challenge Academy. His team was a recipient of the inaugural Academy Student’s Choice Award.