Ben Bremmer of Stephenson County won the top prize at the 2023 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award (SYDPA) program, held in conjunction with the Illinois State Fair. He received a $1,000 scholarship from Prairie Farms Dairy.
The other two scholarship winners were August Michels of Richland County and AJ Lenkaitis of Saline County.
The SYDPA program is designed to promote youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the dairy industry. The competition consists of three phases: a dairy management test, a skill-a-thon, and a judging contest.
Bremmer, Michels, and Lenkaitis all excelled in all three phases of the competition. In the dairy management test, they answered questions about dairy nutrition, herd health, reproduction, milk marketing, and other dairy-related information. In the skill-a-thon, they had to identify dairy feeds, dairy records information, and dairy equipment. And in the judging contest, they had to select the best dairy cows and heifers from a group of animals.
The SYDPA program is a great opportunity for young people to learn about the dairy industry and to compete with other dairy enthusiasts. It is also a great way to earn scholarships to help pay for college or other educational expenses
Photo Credit: gettyimages-peopleimages
Categories: Illinois, Livestock, Dairy Cattle