West Virginia Dairy Cattle Show and Festival - August
Many members within the Dairy Science Club show their own animals, or help exhibit animals from the WVU herd, at the state dairy show each August at Jackson’s Mill. The show and festival is host to breed shows, the state’s Dairy Princess Pageant, and many youth activities including the 4-H and FFA dairy judging competition, dairy bowl, skillathon, showmanship competitions, and ice cream social.
Greene County FFA Dairy Judging Practice - October
Each year, FFA members from Greene County, Pennsylvania, travel to the WVU Dairy to test and improve their dairy judging skills. Dairy Science Club members select, wash, prepare, and lead classes of both heifers and cows in a mock judging contest.
Little Eastern Livestock Show - October
A&VS 251 students (Introduction to Animal Science) are assigned either a dairy heifer, beef heifer, lamb, or hog to train and show at the Little Eastern Livestock Show, sponsored by the Block & Bridle Club. The Dairy Science Club coordinates evening practices with students to help them break their heifers to lead and assists students in clipping their heifers prior to the show.
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - November
In the club’s major trip of the year, members travel to Toronto, Ontario (the fifth most populous city in North America) to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair—the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equine competition in the world. After time at the Royal watching breed shows, the Semex Sale of Stars, and other agricultural exhibits and an evening in downtown Toronto, the club travels south for a night at Niagara Falls. Rounding at the trip is a stay at Nickerson Bros. Dairy in Arcade, NY. For years, the Nickerson family has opened up their home to the club and has organized a day of tours to dairies, feed mills, and heifer raising farms in the area.
Southern Region Dairy Challenge - November
The Dairy Challenge is a competition involving all aspects of dairy management, as well as teamwork, leadership, and presentation skills. In the southern regional contest, contestants are split up and placed on four-person teams with other universities. Teams spend a day analyzing a dairy farm and then prepare a presentation on ways to improve management of the farm.
Southern Regional ADSA-SAD Meeting - January
In early spring, the Dairy Science Club competes at the Southern Regional ADSA- SAD (Student Affiliate Division) Meeting. Teams compete in quiz bowl, and paper presentations against other universities in the southeast.
Ohio Spring Dairy Expo - April
Started in 2008, club members began exhibiting heifers from the WVU herd at the Mid-East National Spring Holstein Show and the Spring National Ayrshire Show during the Spring Dairy Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Not only do members get to prepare, fit, and exhibit animals, but they also operate a college recruitment booth—promoting the Davis College’s in-state tuition rates for Ohio students majoring in a wide-range of agricultural majors.
Farm Tours
Throughout the year the conducts farm tours in the state of West Virginia, as well as surrounding Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. The farm tours are designed to enlighten students of the dairy industry and give them an opportunity to experience a dairy farm.
Many members within the Dairy Science Club show their own animals, or help exhibit animals from the WVU herd, at the state dairy show each August at Jackson’s Mill. The show and festival is host to breed shows, the state’s Dairy Princess Pageant, and many youth activities including the 4-H and FFA dairy judging competition, dairy bowl, skillathon, showmanship competitions, and ice cream social.
Greene County FFA Dairy Judging Practice - October
Each year, FFA members from Greene County, Pennsylvania, travel to the WVU Dairy to test and improve their dairy judging skills. Dairy Science Club members select, wash, prepare, and lead classes of both heifers and cows in a mock judging contest.
Little Eastern Livestock Show - October
A&VS 251 students (Introduction to Animal Science) are assigned either a dairy heifer, beef heifer, lamb, or hog to train and show at the Little Eastern Livestock Show, sponsored by the Block & Bridle Club. The Dairy Science Club coordinates evening practices with students to help them break their heifers to lead and assists students in clipping their heifers prior to the show.
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - November
In the club’s major trip of the year, members travel to Toronto, Ontario (the fifth most populous city in North America) to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair—the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equine competition in the world. After time at the Royal watching breed shows, the Semex Sale of Stars, and other agricultural exhibits and an evening in downtown Toronto, the club travels south for a night at Niagara Falls. Rounding at the trip is a stay at Nickerson Bros. Dairy in Arcade, NY. For years, the Nickerson family has opened up their home to the club and has organized a day of tours to dairies, feed mills, and heifer raising farms in the area.
Southern Region Dairy Challenge - November
The Dairy Challenge is a competition involving all aspects of dairy management, as well as teamwork, leadership, and presentation skills. In the southern regional contest, contestants are split up and placed on four-person teams with other universities. Teams spend a day analyzing a dairy farm and then prepare a presentation on ways to improve management of the farm.
Southern Regional ADSA-SAD Meeting - January
In early spring, the Dairy Science Club competes at the Southern Regional ADSA- SAD (Student Affiliate Division) Meeting. Teams compete in quiz bowl, and paper presentations against other universities in the southeast.
Ohio Spring Dairy Expo - April
Started in 2008, club members began exhibiting heifers from the WVU herd at the Mid-East National Spring Holstein Show and the Spring National Ayrshire Show during the Spring Dairy Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Not only do members get to prepare, fit, and exhibit animals, but they also operate a college recruitment booth—promoting the Davis College’s in-state tuition rates for Ohio students majoring in a wide-range of agricultural majors.
Farm Tours
Throughout the year the conducts farm tours in the state of West Virginia, as well as surrounding Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. The farm tours are designed to enlighten students of the dairy industry and give them an opportunity to experience a dairy farm.