Penn State Students Participate in 2025 North American Dairy Challenge

Six Penn State students traveled to Florida for the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, (NAIDC) held April 6-8 hosted by the Southern Region in Gainesville, FL. Five students also participated in the Dairy Challenge Academy.

Penn State’s team of seniors placed third in their contest team bracket. Those team members were Madison Benfer, Curryville, PA; Emory Bewley, Susquehanna, PA; Sara McNichols, Scranton, PA; and Emma McLaughlin, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA. Jamie Batey, Moon Township, PA and Jarrett Mitchell, Titusville, were part of an aggregate team.

Coaches for the competition were Leoni F. Martins, Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Nutrition, and Josh Becker, a Master’s degree student. Also preparing the team were Dr. Lisa Holden, Associate Professor of Dairy Science; Dr. Chad Dechow, Associate Professor of Dairy Cattle Genetics; Dr. Gabriella Varga, Emeritus Professor of Dairy Nutrition; and Josh Becker, graduate assistant.

Leoni F. Martins, Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Nutrition, said, “The Dairy Challenge is an outstanding opportunity for students to develop technical skills, leadership, teamwork, and resilience, all while gaining hands-on experience evaluating large dairy farms. Our students began preparing early in January, sharpening their data mining skills, strengthening their ability to identify issues through data analysis, and connecting their observations from farm visits back to the data. Their hard work paid off: they demonstrated remarkable growth throughout the semester, arriving at the contest well-prepared and competitive.”

In this real-world simulation, students have just 24 hours to analyze farm data, visit the farm for two hours, ask questions directly to the producer, and prepare a comprehensive presentation. Their presentation must highlight the farm’s strengths and opportunities, along with their own recommendations for improvement. They then present their findings to a panel of judges composed of industry professionals, including veterinarians, nutritionists, financial consultants, and dairy producers. This year, contest student teams evaluated North Florida Dairies, with 6,600 cows total, and Southern Cross Dairy, with 3,600 cows total.

Team Member McLaughlin said, “Dairy Challenge has encouraged me to use my prior experience and the data analysis skills we learn in class to evaluate farms and herd management in a more organized way. Before this class and competition, I had only worked and visited smaller dairies, but I have now had the opportunity to visit a farm with 6,000+ cows. It has been astounding to see the growth that our team has made in just one school year, from our presentation skills to our comfort in understanding industry standards and benchmarks. This has by far been my favorite college experience, and I would recommend this to any student who has a strong interest in joining the dairy industry.”

Fellow team member McNichols added, “Dairy Challenge has been a great experience to learn all about how different dairy farm operations run their facilities and what they can do to improve. In competition, I have used my prior knowledge from both growing up in the dairy industry and from the classes I have taken at Penn State. At North Florida Dairies in Bell, FL, we competed against seven other teams located in schools across the United States. We placed third in a very close match, wrapping up our competitive season. The team has grown astronomically in the past year since we started at the regional level this fall in New York, and I would recommend this experience to any student involved in dairy.”

Martins added, “Beyond the competition, Dairy Challenge offers a valuable platform for students to interact with industry stakeholders and build professional networks — connections that are often critical in helping them secure jobs after graduation. All eyes in the industry are on these students: stakeholders want to interact with them, observe their thought processes, and see how they approach problem-solving under real-world conditions. Ultimately, more important than winning is demonstrating the ability to apply knowledge to practical challenges. Participating in Dairy Challenge undoubtedly positions students ahead in their careers.”

Thirty-eight academic schools participated, with 127 contestants and 119 attending the Academy. There were 47 coaches and 72 volunteers from 34 companies.

Penn State students who participated in the Academy were Jay Bratton, Millerstown, PA; Rylan Curran, Northampton, PA; Calvin Dechow, Julian, PA; Hannah Mansfield, Greenville, NC; and Jessica Fleisher, Newport, PA.

Dairy Challenge has helped prepare over 10,000 students for careers as dairy owners or managers, consultants, researchers, veterinarians, or other dairy professionals. It provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in dairy industry management and communication while networking with other students and exploring industry careers.

The National Dairy Challenge Contest and Academy is an innovative event for students in dairy programs at North American post-secondary institutions. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance the progress of the dairy industry by providing education, communication, and networking among students, dairy producers, agribusiness, and university personnel.

Funding for Penn State’s participation in the event came from an endowment established by alumnus Clifton Marshall, the Student Activity Funds in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.