More than 400 FFA students attended Iowa dairy expo

The expo brought students to NICC’s Calmar campus for a day of practical instruction and competition. Activities included dairy-product assessment, livestock judging and workshops on agricultural practices and career options. An awards ceremony at the close of the event recognised leading individual and team results in several divisions.

Safety instruction included a grain-bin rescue demonstration conducted by Dan Neenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. NECAS is based at NICC’s Peosta campus and is described by the college as the only agricultural safety centre in the United States. The demonstration covered procedures for preventing accidents and responding to emergencies.

Dairy Records Management Systems led a session on using operational data to assess conditions and inform decisions on dairy farms. Other industry-led sessions addressed robotic systems used in dairy production, product-judging techniques and employment routes in agriculture.

NICC agriculture instructor Dave Lawstuen said the college and the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation hosted FFA chapters for judging contests and educational seminars. He said the expo had been held for more than 35 years and had included people who later became prominent in the agriculture industry. Lawstuen also said the participating students were future leaders and that the organisers aimed to develop their leadership, communication and critical-thinking abilities.

The programme was organised through cooperation among Northeast Iowa Community College, the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The event took place at Iowa’s Dairy Center on September 15.