Nine Delaware Valley University students competed in the 2022 Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge in Lyons Falls, N.Y., from Oct. 27 to 29.
The 20th annual Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge brought together 73 students from colleges and universities from the Northeastern United States and Canada.
Dairy Challenge is an innovative, three-day educational competition designed to prepare students for careers in the dairy industry. Working in mixed-university teams of four or five students, contestants assessed all aspects of a working dairy farm, including facilities, nutrition, financials, reproduction, animal health and much more. Students collaborated on a 20-minute team presentation that detailed their observations and suggestions to a panel of judges and participating farm families. Teams were ranked based on how well their evaluations matched judges’ assessments of the dairy operation.
DelVal’s team included: Ryder Campbell ‘22, Hunter Sweitzer ‘23, Roxanne Kingsley ‘23, Eamonn Walton ‘24, Julia Lorenz ‘23, Kayla Rhinesmith ‘24, Faithlynn Moore ‘25, John Stierly IV ‘23, and Ashleigh Moss ‘24. The team is coached by Joanne Powell. Students were placed on intercollegiate teams and ranked based on the evaluation they did for one of two farms.
Kingsley was on an intercollegiate team that finished second. Walton’s intercollegiate team finished first on their farm.
Over its 20-year national history, Dairy Challenge has helped prepare more than 5,000 students for careers as farm owners and managers, consultants, researchers, veterinarians or other dairy professionals. The 2023 national competition and Dairy Challenge Academy will be from March 30 to April 1 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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