Here’s a shout-out to all of the competitors, coaches, organizers, volunteers and sponsors whose efforts made the 25th Junior Dairy Management Contest at All-American Dairy Show such a success! Teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Delaware recently arrived in Harrisburg, PA to compete in 4-H and FFA divisions.
Students judged and placed dairy cows, evaluated forages and other feed ingredients, calculated feed costs and tested their knowledge in herd health, milking management, animal housing and ventilation, animal wellbeing, calf management and farm finances. Participants competed for over $5,000 in prizes awarded for team and individual performance. A $1,000 scholarship going to the highest scoring individual to be used for post-secondary education.
The Junior Dairy Management Contest requires a more diverse understanding of the dairy industry than traditional cattle judging and quiz bowl competitions. In the individual competition, contestants must be able to think on their feet. The five highest placed individuals demonstrate their ability to think and speak on different subjects, providing insight into their depth of knowledge as they respond to and interact with interview judges.
Congratulations to all of this year’s contestants for all of your efforts and hard work. If you are a 4-H or FFA coach and are interested in participating in the Junior Dairy Management Contest, or if you just want more information, you can visit the All-American Dairy Show website.
