A group of four Alfred State students, Alyssa West, Gabriella Passero (front row L to R), Joseph Harasta, and Patience Batterson (back row L to R) competed in the National Dairy Challenge in South Dakota.
Allegany County News, Local News, News
April 30, 2026
Quartet of Alfred State students participate in National Dairy Challenge
ALFRED — A quartet of Alfred State students competed at the 24th Annual National Dairy Challenge Contest hosted by South Dakota State University, Iowa State University, and Dordt University in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The team of Patience Batterson, Joseph Harasta, Gabriella Passero and Alyssa West practiced all semester on local dairy farms before traveling to Sioux Falls for the National Competition.
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 on Sunday 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.
The next day, 144 contest participants visited either Moody County Dairy or Tri-Cross Dairy. The teams had two hours to conduct 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 analysis and practical recommendations.
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, marking the end of the successful 2026 National Dairy Challenge Contest and Academy.
En route to the competition, the students visited Luck-E Holsteins Farm in Hampshire, Ill. Matt Engle gave the group of the farm that is well-known for their superior genetics in the Holstein breed, and a high percentage of their animals score excellent 90 and higher.
