Dairy Judging: The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

Written by State Dairy Extension Specialist, Dr. Gail Carpenter

One of the best things about October is World Dairy Expo. Since my first visit in 2006 with my 4-H judging team from Michigan, Expo has been a highlight of my year. Even though I’m no longer directly involved in dairy judging, following the results is something I look forward to every year. I still watch the results roll in with bated breath, eagerly refreshing Hoard’s Dairyman on Facebook.

Here are some highlights of Iowa’s performance this year:

• Iowa State University took 2nd place in the practical contest.
• Kelsey Timp earned 1st place in the 4-H Ayrshire individual contest.
• ISU’s team won 1st place for Ayrshires, with Naomi Scott placing 5th in the individual category.
• ISU teams placed 3rd in Brown Swiss and Guernsey, and Scott came in 2nd place in the individual Guernsey contest.
• Anders Lovstuen earned 5th place in the 4-H Holstein and 3rd in the Jersey individual contests.
• Iowa 4-H was the 1st place team in Jersey.
• Scott took 3rd place in the Red & White individual category, with Irene Nielsen placing 5th. The ISU team also came in 1st.
• Scott secured 1st place in overall placings, with Louis Hamlett following in 3rd.
• Scott placed 6th in reasons, with ISU’s team securing 5th.
• Lovstuen finished 12th overall in the 4-H contest, while Scott secured 2nd overall, and ISU placed 3rd overall in the collegiate contest.

These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication of these young people, and I’m proud of how they represented Iowa. Despite this success, I’ve heard from coaches at both the 4-H and collegiate levels that fewer students are choosing to participate in dairy judging than in years past. That breaks my heart because dairy judging is, without a doubt, one of the most formative experiences of my life—both personally and professionally. Although I’m no longer coaching, the skills I gained through dairy judging have stayed with me and have shaped my career in ways I never could have imagined.

Dairy judging taught me to prioritize and make decisions under pressure. In the show ring, you have limited time to evaluate an animal and make your call. That ability to prioritize has helped me stay focused and make quick decisions in my current role.

Dairy judging taught me how to organize my thoughts. In judging, you have to clearly communicate why you placed animals the way you did. That clarity of thought and articulation is something I still rely on today when presenting research, writing reports, or giving lectures.

Dairy judging honed my ability to make a compelling case. In competitions, it’s not enough to just know your reasons; you have to be able to convince others of your rationale. Whether I’m writing grant proposals or explaining a complex nutrition strategy, the ability to persuasively advocate for my ideas has been essential to my success.

You might not immediately see the connection between dairy judging and what I do day to day in my career. But I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be where I am without the skills, experiences, and relationships I built through dairy judging. Dairy judging truly is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I hope it continues to shape the lives of young people for years to come.

Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Awards open for another round of applicants!

Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, Iowa raised and Iowa made food, beverages, and other agricultural products. A marketing initiative overseen by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Choose Iowa builds on the growing demand for local foods. Choose Iowa creates new markets for Iowa farmers and provides consumers with more local choices. Choose Iowa also offers several cost-share grants which were created to assist Iowa farmers with their efforts to increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, and value to agricultural products, enable new technologies and support alternative marketing strategies.

The Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant application period opened on October 7 and the deadline to submit is November 27, 2024 at noon CST, with recipients being announced in March 2025.

Financial assistance to eligible businesses engaged in projects include:

• Expand or refurbish existing milk plants or establish a new milk plant.
• Expand or refurbish existing mobile dairy processing units or establish new mobile dairy processing units.
• Rent buildings, refrigeration facilities, freezer facilities or equipment necessary to expand dairy processing capacity, including mobile dairy or refrigeration units used exclusively for dairy processing.
• Incorporate methods and technologies that reduce farm labor associated with milk production and storage, including but not limited to the use of robotics and processes or systems that operate using computerized equipment or machinery.

Find more information about the Dairy Innovation Grant along with the application at:

https://www.chooseiowa.com/grants/dairyinnovation

Gaining Ground on Dairy Education

Hoard’s Dairyman Blog Post, written by ISU Dairy Student, Irene Nielsen

Without growing up on a dairy farm, I entered college feeling that I lacked the experience to take a critical eye and problem-solving skills to the dairies I visited. As fewer college students pursuing an agricultural degree come from farms, there is a growing need for platforms where students can bridge the gap from classroom to farm. Dairy Challenge, an academic competition designed to enhance the dairy industry knowledge and skills of college students, is an experience that does just that.

The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge was established in 2002 as a management contest at Michigan State University. In its first year, there were 14 participating teams. Since then, it has grown to be held nationally and include regional competitions. The Dairy Challenge Academy was also established just over 10 years after the first contest was held, providing an educational and training opportunity for younger or less experienced students to be mentored by industry professionals.

During a Dairy Challenge contest, students work in teams and demonstrate teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, and professional networking skills. They are provided with information about a contest farm, visit the farm, and then develop a professional presentation with recommendations to improve the dairy operation. Presentations are evaluated by a panel of judges with different areas of expertise, including producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, youngstock specialists, and reproductive specialists.

My first experience with the Dairy Challenge programs was during my freshman year when I had the opportunity to participate in the Academy during the national event in Green Bay, Wis. While unsure of what to expect, I found that Academy was the perfect opportunity to ask questions of my mentors, learn from my aggregate teammates, and gain experience taking a critical eye to dairy operations. The following year, I had the opportunity to participate in the Midwest regional contest and the Academy, both of which were fantastic experiences where I got to meet and work with other students from across the Midwest and the nation. Collaborating, connecting, and competing with students from different dairy experiences, backgrounds, and interests allowed me to learn how different dairying systems work across the country and understand how closely connected the dairy industry is.

Ag Lenders Seminars Planning in NW and NE Iowa

The Tri-State Agricultural Lenders Seminar will be held Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Best Western Plus Hotel, 3100 Dodge St., Dubuque. The event begins with registration at 9:45 a.m. and concludes around 3:15 p.m.

The Siouxland Agricultural Lenders Seminar will be held Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Dordt Stewardship Center located at 3648 U.S. Highway 75, Sioux Center.

The seminars will offer current information to assist lenders, consultants and farm financial advisers in their portfolio management, which is especially important in this era of low profits and market variability. Lenders who serve agricultural clients – especially those who work with dairy producers, are encouraged to attend.

Topics will include insights on farm succession, insights on right to repair legislation, the used machinery market, and market outlooks for livestock, grains and dairy production.