Midwest Dairy Challenge draws over 65 students to Ohio

[EditorBob]

Midwest Dairy Challenge draws over 65 students to Ohio

The sixth annual Midwest Dairy Challenge drew 66 dairy and animal science students from 15 universities and colleges to the Shisler Center in Wooster, Ohio, February 11-13, 2010.

The Dairy Challenge is an innovative management analysis competition developed in 2002 by industry and university professionals, that also involves dairy owners in identifying opportunities for making their businesses more efficient and profitable. To date, more than 1,500 students have enhanced their dairy management, communication and business skills through the Dairy Challenge program.

“The 66 participants had two very well-managed farms to visit located near Wooster, Ohio,” said contest chair John Goeser from Vita Plus. “They rose to the challenge to analyze those operations.”

This year’s contest, hosted by The Ohio State University, included students from University of Illinois, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Lakeshore Technical College, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, The Ohio State University, Ohio State University-Agricultural Technical Institute, Purdue University, South Dakota State University, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and the UW-Madison Farm & Industry Short Course.

Working in four- or five-person, mixed-university teams, students assessed all aspects of a working dairy farm and then presented their highest priority recommendations to a panel of judges and the dairy business owners. Judges chose three teams as Platinum winners, the contest’s highest distinction. The individuals who comprised these teams were Holly Bruns, South Dakota State; Ryan Conklin, Ohio State; Sabrina Eick, OSU-ATI; Andrea Eilenfeld, Ohio State; Allison Flinn, Iowa State; Tricia Gates, Lakeshore Technical College; Nathanial Guy, OSU-ATI; Katherine Harmelink, UW-Madison; David Hutchinson, UW-Platteville; Darci O’Brien, UW-Madison; Brenda Reiter, University of Minnesota; Stephanie Retz, UW-River Falls; Natalie Schreyer, Kansas State; and Ed Weisgarber, OSU-ATI.

Comprehensive Experience For Participants

Arriving the evening of February 11, participants first gained new insights about sales careers, dairy nutrition, farm finance and industry image from dairy industry professionals. The Dairy Challenge teams were then formed and began analyzing their assigned operation.

After touring the dairy on February 12, teams developed questions that were used to in interviews with herd owners to better assess dairy management and farming operations. This information, combined with their observations, herd production and financial information, was then used by each team to develop a report about what they saw and opportunities for improvement.

On the final day, February 13, each team was given 20 minutes to present their recommendations before the herd owners and a panel of judges with expertise ranging from dairy management, nutrition and reproduction to animal health and ag business finance.

Throughout the weekend, participants had many opportunities to network with industry professionals. Representatives from NAIDC Platinum sponsors, including several who were looking to hire both interns and full-time employees, were also available for a career fair held on Saturday.

The Host Farms

Host farms for the 2010 Midwest Dairy Challenge were Steinhurst Dairy and Ayers Family Dairy.

Steinhurst Dairy is a seventh-generation dairy farm. Myron Steiner and his three sons, Carlton, David and John, started with a 25-cow dairy in 1959. As time progressed, David and John took over the day-to-day operations. The family formed an LLC in 1995 with John, David, and David’s sons, Eric and Kurt. After the untimely death of David Steiner last February, the operation reorganized its leadership with John, Kurt, and Eric. All three of them are involved in various aspects of the operation. Currently, the farm consists of 410 milking cows and 1,200 acres.

The Ayers Family Dairy is certainly a family-operated dairy farm. Carl Ayers returned home in 1968 to assume management responsibilities along with brother, Steve, and parents Ed and Ina. Carl’s wife Janet and Steve’s wife Deb help manage the dairy full-time as well. Kathy Davis returned to help manage the farming operation full-time in 1994. Jesse Ayers returned to help manage the farming operation full-time in 2002. David Ayers is currently helping with the farming operation and taking agronomy courses in crop and soil science at OSU-ATI. Today, the herd consists of 693 cows and 630 heifers.

About Dairy Challenge

The Midwest contest is one of four regional events associated with the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge. NAIDC was established in 2002 as a management contest spanning all phases of a specific dairy business. It strives to incorporate a higher-learning atmosphere with practical application, in turn generating highly qualified graduates to lead and further improve the dairy industry.

Financial support for the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge and its regional contests comes from generous contributions from dairy industry companies, associations and foundations, and dairy business owners. NAIDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Contributions to Dairy Challenge are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Visit www.dairychallenge.org for more information on sponsorship support, or contact Executive Director Molly Kelley at 217-684-3007 or naidcmjk@aol.com.


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