Congratulations to the winners of the Western Dairy Challenge contest. Held last week in Fresno, Calif., students from six western universities competed. These included Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, Fresno State University, Idaho State University, Texas A & M University, Utah State University and Washington State University.
The first Platinum team included: Richard Grafe from Texas A & M University, Rebecca Anderson from Cal Poly State University, John Verwey from University of Idaho, Andrea Mouw from Washington State University, and Tyler Blagg from Fresno State University.
The second Platinum team included: Holly Kuelper from Texas A & M University, Adrian Dipersloot from Cal Poly State University, Christina Chigbrow from University of Idaho, Betsy Adams from Washington State University, and Brent Astiasuain from Fresno State University.
Double J Dairy, Tulare, Calif., served as the host dairy for the 2007 contest. Jay TeVelde owns and operates this dairy. The teams analyzed the entire dairy operation, including the milking area, cow performance and feeding protocols. Later, teams compiled a report discussing the business’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. Students presented their findings and recommendations to a panel of industry judges. Each team member was required to present a segment of the report.