Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Extension Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University
The eighth annual Midwest Dairy Challenge, which ran January 31 - February 2, 2012 and was hosted by Kansas State University, attracted 78 students from 18 universities and colleges. This year’s contest was held in St. Joseph, MO, and the 16 teams of students were divided between two dairy farms (one Holstein and one Jersey) located in northwest KS. In the regional dairy challenge programs, all students are placed on aggregate teams. Students from The Ohio State University participating in the program were: Laura Gordon, Kevin Jacque, Melinda Miller, Emily Stayduhar, and Katie Stevens. All of the OSU students went to the Jersey farm, except for Melinda Miller. Among the eight teams that went to the Jersey farm, Laura’s team placed first, Kati’s team placed second, Kevin’s team placed third, and Emily’s team placed fourth. Melinda’s ream placed third among eight teams. These five students represented The Ohio State University very well, and it was a tremendous learning experience for them.
The 2012 National contest will be held March 29-31 in Roanoke, VA and will be hosted by Virginia Tech University. The following students will represent OSU at the contest: Kevin Jacque, Melinda Miller, Emily Stayduhar, and Katie Stevens. Dr. Maurice Eastridge is the coach of the dairy challenge program. The 2013 and 2014 National contests will be jointly hosted by The Ohio State University, Purdue University, and Michigan State University at the Grand Wayne Center in Ft. Wayne, IN.
Pictured (left to right): Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Emily Stayduhar,
Melinda Miller,