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At Fresno State, senior Alexis Jackson found a calling in the animal science field, thanks to a series of campus farm positions that started when she was a freshman working at the campus dairy.

As a sophomore and junior, the Antelope Valley native lived at the dairy unit, where she was responsible for milking cows, feeding calves and assisting with their health needs. Those experiences involved real-life problem-solving as well as managing late-night and weekend responsibilities as calves were born or cows needed medical treatment.

That experience made her a strong candidate to help a team of Fresno State students compete at the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge national event held April 12 to 14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Together with fellow seniors Drake Bair (of Merced), JonMichael Silva (Visalia) and Diego Olivares (Bakersfield), the team placed fourth in the nine-team D panel, which was won by Iowa State University.

Senior Jose Vargas (Tulare) competed on an aggregate team of individual students from various universities in another panel.

Junior George Gioletti (Turlock) also competed on an aggregate team that won their panel in the Academy Division. This section followed the same contest format and is ideal for students who are new to the event and may compete in the future, and emphasizes practice and learning.

Overall, 36 of the 43 universities in attendance had students competing in the national team competition, which was divided into four groups, or panels. Additional students from many of those same universities participated in the Academy Division.

“We had practiced for many months for this event, but there were still a lot of things for us to adjust to, since dairies in the Midwest oftentimes do things differently than what we see out here,” Jackson said. “It was fun to see the differences and meet other students and professionals from across the nation. We owe a lot of thanks to our faculty adviser, Dr. Jessica Townsend Graybeal, and industry professionals who gave us great training beforehand in how to analyze dairies.”

At the event co-hosted by Dordt University, Iowa State University and South Dakota State University, students also participated in team-building activities, met professionals to learn about industry topics and networked at a career and innovation fair.

Fresno State prepped for the national event by competing at the Western Regional Dairy Challenge March 5 to 7, organized by the University of Alberta in Camrose, Alberta. The regional event, one of four held nationally, included 77 students from 15 schools.

 After their presentations, judges selected Jackson’s and Bair’s team presentations as the best in their four-team panels, and Olivares and junior Jaleesa Sousa’s teams received runner-up honors.

The host dairy posed a unique challenge for students, as the Canadian national production quota system limited some of their potential suggestions, such as increasing milk production or herd size. Fresno State instead offered feedback to increase profitability by improving health monitoring and reproduction practices for younger heifers, so more could be sold at higher prices to other dairies in the United States, which did not have production quotas or herd size limits.

Like the national event, the regional contest was funded through the support of more than 100 agribusinesses and dairy producers, and was one of four held across the country.

To prepare for both events, Fresno State students were advised by campus dairy supporters Rick Rocha (Valley Ag Software), Denise Athy (Valley Ag Software) and Ryan Cabrera (Ag West Financial Credit).

Students also evaluated Central Valley dairies in the contest format that are operated by Fresno State alumni Caleb Zwart (Mineral King Dairy in Visalia), Matt Strickland (Double Creek Dairy in Merced), Alex DeJager (Vista Verde Dairy in Chowchilla) and Johnny Serpa (Black Diamond Dairy in Riverdale).

A Jordan College endowment organized by another supporter, Tony Campos, helped fund the team’s travel to the regional event.

“As they approach their careers, our students gained invaluable insight through the professional connections and networking at the event’s career fair and through our training,” said Townsend Graybeal, the assistant professor who served as the team’s coach. “This event is made possible by the generous support of our industry, which helps keep costs low, from registration to hotels, and allows more students to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Graybeal, who joined the faculty this past fall and teaches dairy science classes, traveled with the students to both events. She also teaches the Advanced Commercial Dairy Management Evaluation Class (ASCI 164), a requirement for all dairy science students.

“It was great watching the students come together as a team and come out of their shells,” Townsend Graybeal said. “They really bonded while they were learning about the industry, so it was a great return for the team, which hadn’t been active for several years. I’m incredibly proud of how hard they worked throughout the process. I know our graduating seniors will go on to do amazing things, and I’m excited to have several students returning to the team next year.”

Graybeal said she was drawn to the Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Department because of the teaching, research, campus dairy opportunities and strong ties to the industry. In recent years, she completed her doctoral degree, conducted animal genetic research and worked with undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Simi Valley native had previously received an undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and conducted research at its campus dairy.

Fresno State’s dairy program started in 1954, and its current facility is named after donor Manuel Mancebo, Jr., and Katye Mancebo. The unit has over 250 Jersey and Holstein cows, and gives classes and nearly 20 student assistants hands-on experience in dairy production, animal health and welfare and genetics. California is the nation’s leading state in milk production, and the Central Valley is the state’s leader.

For Jackson, a dairy science major, her passion for the industry continues to grow, and she can see herself working in many areas. Following her role at the Fresno State dairy, she gained experience at Standard Cattle, a calf ranch and feedlot in San Joaquin, and now works at the Fresno State beef and sheep units. This summer, she will compete on a campus quiz bowl team at the Recriprocol Meat Conference in June before she finishes her dairy science degree this fall.

“Dairy Challenge is something we have heard about from alumni who have shared their experiences, and we are thankful to have a team again at Fresno State,” Jackson said. ”This was an amazing experience that allowed us to learn more about the industry, connect with others through networking and build friendships with students from across the nation.” — Story contributed by Fresno State University