The 2019 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award program was held at the Illinois State Fair.
Twenty-five 4-H dairy project members from across Illinois took part in the event. The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development and personal growth through increased knowledge of the dairy industry.
Photo supplied.
This three-phase competition emphasizes the youth’s knowledge of the dairy industry.
The “top three” overall participants were awarded with a $1,000 scholarship. The $3,000 in scholarships is sponsored by Prairie Farms Dairy and awarded to:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado
- Zachary Paul, Worden
- Ainsley Kratochvil, Fairbury
Individual plaques, sponsored by Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association and Illinois State Fair, were awarded to the top three in each phase and the top three overall winners.
The first phase was a dairy management test relating to dairy nutrition, herd health, reproduction, milk marketing and other dairy related information. Top three contestants for this phase were:
- Zachary Paul, Worden
- Shana Lueking, Centralia
- Brady Heinzmann, Carlyle
The second phase was a three station skill-a-thon on various aspects of the dairy industry. Contestants had to identify dairy feeds, identify dairy pedigree information and identify dairy equipment. The top three contestants in the skill-a-thon were:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado
- Payton Erbsen, Lanark
- Riley Walden, Mode
The third phase of the Superior Young Dairy Producer Contest was a judging contest. The judging phase consisted of animal selection by placing four classes of dairy cows and two classes of heifers. The top three contestants for this phase were:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado
- Gage Wendling, Altamont
- Ainsley Kratochvil, Fairbury
Source: Agrinews