UWRF Student Takes Platinum Honor at Midwest Dairy Challenge

Feb. 25, 2011--The seventh annual Midwest Dairy Challenge, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, mixed students from 16 different universities and colleges into teams to analyze two Menomonie area dairy farms.

The Dairy Challenge is an innovative competition developed by industry and university professionals in which each team assessed all aspects of the working dairy farms and then presented recommendations for improvement to the panel of judges and the participating producers. Combined observations from a tour of the farm, production records and financials allowed students to make an in-depth analysis about the dairy operation.

Joseph Ploeckelman, a UWRF senior dairy science major from Athens, was honored as a member of a platinum winning team. Judges named only two teams with the highest platinum honor.

Photo: 2011 Midwest Dairy Challenge Pfizer Platinum Team, L to R, front: Heather
Lammers, Lakeshore Technical College and Karen Anderson, University of Minnesota. Back: Scott Felten, UW Farm and Industry Short Course; Joseph Ploeckelman, UW-River Falls and Eric Sneller, Michigan State University.