According to Prof. John Walton (Animal & Poultry Science), the annual North American Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) provides a complex intellectual challenge for anyone with an interest in modern dairying. Sponsored by the dairy industry as a tool to evaluate and recruit new graduates, the competition features teams of 4 students from universities across the continent, who are required to visit a large modern dairy farm, evaluate its production and financial information, and within 6 hours develop a consultant’s report that details its strengths, challenges and opportunities....

This report is then presented to a panel of experts.

OAC students Mark Carson, Jen Christie and Alison Besley first encountered NAIDC in 2005 while studying for a semester at California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly). They recruited Michael MacLean, a classmate, to join them, and became the first OAC team to compete (and win) at the annual event.

Today, OAC provides its own version of the Dairy Challenge for U of G students. Participants visit 4 farms during the fall semester using the NAIDC model, with classes running through Friday nights to Saturday afternoons. Students receive a 0.5 course
credit for their efforts, and also compete for a place on the U of G team for NAIDC.

This past fall, the 16 students pictured here participated in the OAC Dairy Challenge, visiting the farms of Reinoud VerHoef, Wilf Strenzke (’83), John Heeney (’88) and Gordon Offhaus (Batavia, NY). Six of the 16 were also able to participate in the North East Regional Dairy Challenge held in Concord New Hampshire in November.

The 2008 NAIDC competition will be held in April in Wisconsin. OAC team members Martin Schouten, Carolyn Borsy, Stefan Weber and Brett Gamble will compete against 30 teams from the top Land Grant Universities in the US.

From OAC FACE >forward, January 2008.