UMaine students compete at Northeast Regional Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge
Five animal and veterinary science students from the University of Maine competed at the 16th annual Northeast Regional Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge in October.
Students who are pursuing potential careers in the dairy industry traveled to Auburn, New York to compete in the real-world application event.
UMaine representatives included Lauren Guptill of Waldoboro, Maine; Alexandra Banks of Orono, Maine; Hadley Moore of Old Town, Maine; Sadee Mehuren of Searsmont, Maine; and Grant Herchenroether of Naugatuck, Connecticut. David Marcinkowski, associate professor in the School of Food and Agriculture, coached the team.
During the three-day competition, students competed in teams to apply theory and their learning to a working dairy farm.
Collegiate participants visited three dairy farms in New York as part of their training to help farmers evaluate and adapt management to optimize success and animal care. Also, industry professionals presented cutting-edge research, new programs and career opportunities to students.
North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge was established as a management contest to incorporate all phases of a specific dairy business. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance progress of the dairy industry by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel. The national competition will be hosted in Visalia, California in April 2018.
A full news release is online.