DelVal Students Compete in Dairy Challenge

Six Dairy Science students dressed business casual and Ms. Powell line up for a photo in front of a fireplace.

Credit: Delaware Valley University. From left: Alana Miller, Cheyenne Strunk, Roxanne Kingsley, Eamonn Walton, Taylor Donovan, Madison Jaslar, and Ms. Joanne Powell

Six DelVal students gained hands-on experience in the dairy industry through the competition.

Six DelVal students gained hands-on experience competing in the 2021 Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge in Lyons Falls, New York. The 19th Annual Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge brought together 65 students from colleges and universities from the Northeastern United States in a 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. Teams were ranked based on how well their evaluations matched judges’ assessments of the dairy operation.

DelVal’s team included: Alana Miller ’22, Cheyenne Strunk ’22, Roxanne Kingsley ’23, Eamonn Walton ’24, Taylor Donovan ’22, and Madison Jaslar ’22. The team is coached by Dr. Bruce Richards and Joanne Powell. “Dairy Challenge was a rewarding, immersive experience that taught me even more about all aspects of the dairy industry,” said Miller. “The opportunity to receive mentorship from various professionals across the industry was invaluable and further demonstrated to me how collaboration strengthens and moves the field forward.”

To learn more about the challenge, visit dairychallenge.org