Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation


Georgia youth attending the 2017 SE Dairy Youth Retreat
Summer 2017 E-Moos
Georgia Youth Attend 2017 SE Dairy Youth Retreat

Close to 30 Georgia youth and adults attended the 2017 Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat in Bradenton, Florida last month. This annual event is a tremendous opportunity for youth ages 8 to 18. During the retreat, youth participants from seven southeastern states interacted with dairy industry professionals during hands-on learning activities. 

They also visited a wide  variety of farms in Florida, ranging from a minimal input, grazing dairy milking 5,000 cows to a 
large agri-tourism herd that  produces their own milk and cheese. On the final day, the group cooled off at Adventure Island Waterpark and enjoyed a nice evening banquet. 

Thank you to those in Florida for hosting the 2017 Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat this year. Our  Georgia kids  had a great experience and made many new friends and  memories. Also, a very special thank you to our dairy farm families and industry sponsors that support the GA Dairy Youth    Foundation. Your contributions allow GDYF to help fund the registration and transportation fees for GA youth attending this event.  

State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Competition
Written by Dr. J. F. Bohlen, UGA
2017 Oconee County Junior and Senior Teams
Saturday, June 3rd, was a fun and exciting day of Dairy Quiz Bowl in Athens, GA.  An event like no other offered to dairy youth, dairy quiz bowl is a true test of pure dairy knowledge.   Also unique, Dairy Quiz Bowl allows young people the opportunity to work as a team and individually while competing in each round.  This year's contest brought together 7 Junior Teams and 4 Senior teams for competition. Below are some example questions from this year's contest - do you know the answers?
 
Junior Division 
  • What is the term given to milk left in the udder after a normal milking?
  • Where is material deposited if it is administered to the animal IV?
  • What is the measurement that determines how well cows turn feed into milk?
  • When predipping a cow before milking, how much of the teat should be covered?
  • During the day, what are the two peak times of water consumption for the dairy cow?
 Senior Division
  • What would the uppercase letters PP mean on a Holstein pedigree?
  • What is the current base year for genetic evaluations of dairy cattle?
  • In addition to methane, what is the other main gas formed in the rumen?
  • How much additional milk should you expect from cows milked 3 times a day instead of 2?
  • According to the PDCA scorecard, what trait in the rear feet and legs receives priority?
How well did you do?   
 
Placing first in the Junior Competition was Oconee Co.  Those team members were:  Hannon Bulger, Alicia Carnes, Robie Lucas, Lexi Prichard, Kalani Washington.
 
In the Junior Team Competition, Coweta Co. was second.  Team members include: Jennifer Brinton, Madison Dyar, Bella Fisk, Colton Swartz, Michael Whitlock.  Tift Co. place third and their team members were: Macy Hill, Seth Jones, Dana Wells, Amare Woods 
 
Placing first in the Senior Competition was Oconee Co.  Those team members were: Ayah Abdelwahab, Mennah Abdelwahab, David Han, Neely McCommons, Emily Queen.  Oconee Co. will have the opportunity to represent Georgia 4-H at the North American Invitation 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest in Louisville, KY this coming fall.
 
Morgan Co. placed second and their team members included:  Riley Elwood, Will Woodard, Lucy Young.  Coweta Co. placed third and their team was comprised of the following members: Beck Glover, Alexa Hillebrand, Nicole Hillebrand, Elizabeth Mansour. 
GDYF Junior Board Training Held in May

GDYF's 2017 Junior Board of Directors met on Saturday, May 13, for their annual leadership and training day. The 12 directors spent the day planning activities to engage junior members, brainstorming ideas on how to thank sponsors and thinking of ways to increase participation in GDYF fundraisers and activities. 

Georgia's dairy youth can look forward to having more ways to get involved with dairy activities, including a second costume class, a dairy social and workshops led by the Junior Board.
 
Following their lunch break, the group toured W Dairy, led by owner Carol Williams and current GDYF president. Thank you to WDairy for hosting this event and to Kellay Watson with GDYF for planning and executing the activities for the day.
GA National Fair will host another   Dress-A-Cow Contest 
on Saturday, October 7 at 4 p.m.

  
Staff at the Georgia National Fair were  so impressed with the participation and creative costumes during our first GDYF  Dress-A-Co w contest last February that they want to feature it again this year during the Georgia National Fair.
  So put your "thinking caps on" and start designing your costumes for the next round on October 7, 2017.  The GNF Jr Commercial Dairy Dress-A-Cow Contest will be held at 4 pm. in the Foster Rhodes Livestock Arena.   More information on this event will be released soon!   
National ADSA - June 24th - 27th
Written by Dr. Jillian Bohlen, 
Assistant Professor, UGA and Kayla Alward

 

Where in the world were the Dairy Dawgs this summer?? All over the country! This made it particularly challenging for the students to come together to attend the National ADSA meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. Kayla Alward was interning on Mason Dixon Dairy Farms in Gettysburg, PA, working on reproduction and herd health. Mary Wright was also in PA in Bucks County, working with the local extension to organize shows and teach animal science camps, and also working on her home farm where she raises replacement heifers. Yet another student, Taylor Strickland interned in Arizona with dairy veterinarians focusing on reproduction and large animal care. Nathan Webb had the opportunity to stay in Georgia to intern at Barrington Dairy Farm with a focus on nutritional aspects. And finally, Lily Masa was holding down the fort right here in Athens, GA working at the UGA Teaching Dairy.
 
But with the dedication and desire for these students to be a part of ADSA, they all arrived in Pittsburgh on Friday evening to rest up before the competitions began. Saturday was spent meeting other students and getting a behind the scenes look at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. After this, they went back to the hotel to prepare for Quiz Bowl the next day. Quiz Bowl took up most of the day, with the Dawgs working hard to show their knowledge in the hopes of winning. They made it to 4th place, beating out Louisiana State University, Iowa State, University of Florida, Cornell and Washington State!! The top 3 schools were Virginia Tech, Penn State and Cal Poly.
 
On Monday, the students were up bright and early with some preparing for presentations. Mary Wright gave a presentation entitled "Evaluating the migration toward automated calf feeders on calf performance" in the Dairy Production category, while Kayla Alward gave a presentation entitled "The potential impact of a novel canned latte on the North American dairy products market". After listening to other students' talks as well as leaders from the dairy industry, they were able to attend a round table luncheon, which featured members of different divisions of the dairy industry who engaged with students about what they do and potential jobs in their field. One of the highlights of the trip came that evening when the entire ADSA student group went on a Riverboat Cruise featuring dinner, dancing, and a whole lot of fun! It was a fantastic way to wrap up the trip before our final day.
 
Tuesday was the day everyone had been waiting for; the announcement of the winners. And we are pleased to say that the Dairy Dawgs represented well!! The students made countless connections within the industry and gained a wealth of information while on the trip, all while having fun. Way to go Dairy Dawgs!!
  • 4th place Quiz Bowl in the Nation
  • 3rd place Outstanding Chapter in the Nation
  • 2nd place Scrapbook in the Nation
  • Mary Wright placed 4th for her presentation in Dairy Production entitled "Evaluating the migration toward automated calf feeders on calf performance"
  • Mary Wright was elected to serve as the National 2nd Vice President for the Student Affiliate Division of ADSA
  • Kayla Alward won 1st place for her presentation in Dairy Foods entitled "The potential impact of a novel canned latte on the North American dairy products market" making her the 1st student to ever win in all 3 categories.
  • Kayla Alward was named the National Outstanding Dairy Student and was awarded the Genevieve Christen Distinguished Undergraduate Award and was the outgoing 1st Vice President for the Student Affiliate Division of ADSA
  • Dr. Bohlen will serve as the 3rd year National Advisor to the student organization
 T-Shirts!!
Look what's coming.... Our new GDYF T-Shirts!


Thanks to Kevin Martinez, Coffee County High FFA 
and Brianna Baldwin, Crawford County 4-H for our design.
Upcoming Events/Shows

Aug. 27 - Chattooga Dairy Show at Chattooga Ag Fair   -   Click Here
Entry Deadline: August 16th

Sept 9: 9th Annual White Co. Commercial Dairy Heifer Show - Click Here
Entry Deadline: August 23rd

Sept 23: Gwinnett County Fair: Sept. 23 (check in Sept. 22) - Click Here
Entry Deadline: August 19th

Oct. 1: 
2017 Coweta County Commercial Dairy Heifer Show - Click Here
Entry Deadline: September 1st

Oct. 7th @ 4pm - Jr Comm. Dairy Dress-A-Cow Contest, Foster Rhodes Arena at Georgia National Fair, Perry

Oct. 8: Jr. Comm. Dairy Heifer Showmanship & Show, Foster Rhodes Arena at Georgia National Fair, Perry - Click Here
Entry Deadline: September 1st

Oct. 22 - Augusta Fair Dairy Show, Augusta (check in Oct. 21) - Click Here
Entry Deadline: October 2nd
GDYF Junior Membership is Free!
Youth interested in dairy activities in Georgia now have the opportunity to become Junior Members of Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation free of charge! This membership provides youth ages 18 and under the chance to see what GDYF is doing to help them succeed in various activities throughout the year. Junior Members receive the quarterly newsletter with updates about competitions, shows and ways they can get involved. To fill out the membership form, click here.
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In This Issue
GA Youth Attend SEDYR
State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Competition
GDYF Jr. Board Training
GNF Jr. Commerical Dress-A-Cow Contest
UGA Competes in National ADSA
Upcoming Events
Free GDYF Junior Memberships

Join GDYF Today!!

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