Photo courtesy of Dairy Challenge: https://www.facebook.com/DairyChallenge
The 2026 National Dairy Challenge Contest and Academy wrapped up on April 14 after three days of immersive, hands-on learning experiences for 281 dairy-focused college students from across North America.
Held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this year’s event set a new record for participation in both the academy and contest teams. See Wisconsin’s winners below!
Students representing 43 colleges and universities participated in this unique event, which combines real-world farm evaluation with networking and professional development. Dairy Challenge is designed to help students from around the country bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical application in the dairy industry.
The event began when students received herd data from their assigned farms. Contest and Academy participants then worked in teams to analyze the information, preparing for their on-site farm visits the following day.
One hundred thirty-seven academy students visited Boadwine Farms. Accompanied by industry mentors, students evaluated areas of the dairy farm such as calf care, parlor management, feed systems, and facility design. In the afternoon, students had the opportunity to interview the dairy producers to ask follow-up questions and gain a deeper understanding of on-farm goals and management practices. Using this insight, students then developed presentations and proposed strategies for improvement.
Meanwhile, 144 contest participants visited either Mooody County Dairy or Tri-Cross Dairy. In just two hours, teams conducted a comprehensive farm analysis, followed by a Q&A session with the farm owners and advisors. Teams then prepared detailed recommendations in key areas such as nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, cow comfort, and labor and financial management.
The final day of the contest saw judge panels evaluating each team’s presentation, which highlighted the strengths and areas of improvement for their respective farms. Each panel of five judges included dairy producers, veterinarians, finance specialists and seasoned agribusiness personnel. Awards were presented to top-performing teams based on the quality of their analyses and practical recommendations.
Congratulations to UW-Madison’s team for bringing home the silver after visiting Mooody County Dairy. Coached by Eric Ronk, the team included Ava Dragosh, Clarissa Ulness, Jenna Gries, and Derek Gehin.
Harlee Harbaugh and Neil Venhuizen of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and Garrett Ulness of UW-Madison, also brought home first place for their presentations.
Additionally, students visited the Career and Innovation Fair and attended top-level corporate technology seminars from NAIDC sponsors.
The event concluded at the annual banquet with the presentation of student awards.
