Legend-Dairy: SDSU Students Claim National Judging Awards

Jun 09, 2025

By Kay Norton

Students in the South Dakota State University Department of Dairy and Food Science brought home high honors in national collegiate dairy competitions this spring.

The SDSU Dairy Cattle Judging Team placed first overall at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Judging Conference held in Canyon, Texas. Dairy cattle judging evaluates the physical conformation of different breeds of dairy animals and helps students to learn decision-making skills and communication through giving oral reasons for those placings.

Evelyn Scheffler was high individual overall. Vanessa Gonzalez placed first in reasons and third overall. Dillion Sparrgrove placed 10th overall. The team is coached by SDSU faculty member Turner Swartz and will judge in additional contests in the 2025-26 academic year.

Source : sdstate.edu

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.