About 94% of the dairy farms in the U.S. are family owned (American Dairy Association). With this statistic being so high, it is easy to assume that the vast majority of dairy farm owners have always known this lifestyle. So, how is the dairy industry making efforts to recruit the other 6% of future farm owners who aren’t raised on a family dairy farm? How is this industry sparking involvement for new dairymen?

Student participants from the Western Regional Contest

The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge is just one example. This contest unites and challenges students from across North America and engages them in this industry. Some students who attended this contest fit the mold of being raised on a multigenerational dairy farm, and others had no dairy experience at all. At the Western Regional contest, there were even students who had never been on a dairy before and had a brand-new perspective on the dairy’s successes and challenges.

The mission of this contest is to “Develop tomorrow's dairy industry leaders to foster a sustainable future by providing educational, professional growth, and networking opportunities for students, dairy producers, agribusiness, and academic personnel.”

The first step of the contest is for the students to receive the data and information for a specific dairy farm. They then research and study this information before visiting the farm the next day. After looking over the whole farm and physically experiencing how things are done there, they get to have a question-and-answer session with the farm owners to pull all the pieces together. The team then puts together and presents recommendations for the farm to improve including profitability, cow health, productivity, and more.

This unique opportunity to share the heart of the dairy industry with college students is priceless. The experience of stepping right into a dairy farmer's shoes and investigating each piece of their farm is something that can’t be found anywhere else. This is the type of hands-on learning experience that students will never forget and will use to guide their future goals.

One teacher, Dr. Bruce Richards, who brought five students to the conference said Dairy Challenge: “gives the students an opportunity to learn how to evaluate a dairy farm, to learn how to communicate, to learn how to work together as a team, and to be confident in their recommendations that they make to the dairy farmer.” Dr. Richards' team from BYU-I was made up of five students studying various majors, and only one of whom had an extensive background in the dairy industry. After the contest, it was safe to say that his students left with a newfound interest and curiosity about the dairy industry, and many said they would participate in the contest again.

This opportunity was so impactful because it gives students the opportunity to learn and investigate challenges on a real dairy farm in a new and unique way. This challenge is designed to spark interest in the dairy industry, and it achieved just that at this contest held back in February.

There is no other collegiate experience designed quite like this to create this well rounded and heavily detailed involvement in the dairy industry. With over 50 student participants from across the Western United States at the single regional contest, this challenge is undoubtedly making big impacts and developing advocates for the dairy industry that will flourish all over the country!