FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stan Henderson
(805) 756-6112
Cal Poly Takes Silver Medal in Dairy Challenge Competition
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s team took home the silver medal
in a
national agribusiness competition hosted by Penn State University.
Cal Poly’s team of dairy and agribusiness students faced off against
teams from 28 universities across the nation in the third annual North
American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) April 2-3 in Altoona,
Pa.
In addition to taking second place in the team competition, several Cal
Poly teammates joined students from three other colleges, earned an ‘all
star’ gold rating in the competition, said team advisor and Dairy
Science Professor Stan Henderson, who traveled to the Penn State contest
along with coach Anthony Reis, Cal Poly dairy herd manager.
Students competing on Cal Poly’s Dairy Challenge Team were Steve
Sweet,
Edmore, Mich.; Dan Barbour, Lakeside; Travis Ferreira, Hanford; Russell
Van Steyn, Elk Grove; and Devin Gioletti, Turlock. Barbour was also
chosen for the gold team of judges.
“The Dairy Challenge is an innovative two-day competition for students
representing dairy science programs at North American universities. It
enables students to apply theory and learning to a real-world dairy,
while working as part of a four-person team,” said Henderson.
On the first day of the competition, each team received information
about a working dairy, including production and farm management data.
After an in-person inspection of one of three designated dairies,
participants interviewed the herd managers. Then each team developed a
farm analysis and presentation materials, including recommendations for
nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, housing and
financial management.
On the second day of the competition, collegiate teams presented
recommendations to a panel of judges and then fielded questions from the
judges. Presentations were evaluated, based on the analysis and
recommendations.
The North American Intercollegiate 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
agribusinesses and coordinated by a volunteer steering committee, the
first NAIDC was held in April 2002.
For more information, call (608) 224-0400 or visit
www.dairychallenge.org.
- # # # -
.
- # # # -