Dairy Youth Camp applications closing soon

Monday 07 November 2011 | From NCDEA

Time is running out to apply for the 2012 National All Dairy Breeds Youth Camp.

The camp is in its 16th year of running and will be held 3 to 7 January 2012 at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds. The camp is for participants aged 16 – 20 and aims to support young people as they develop their interest in the dairy industry.

Camp participants over the week will develop confidence in handling dairy heifers, learn judging, showing and clipping skills, discuss breeding and new technology. Each participant will have the opportunity to care for a heifer that is supplied throughout the week including daily feeding, watering, monitoring and preparing it for Exhibition Day.

The camp also enables participants to undertake units of competency from the Certificate II in Agriculture qualification through the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia.

Erin Taylor (pictured at right) was the winner of the 2011 Overall Genetics Australia Sheri Martin Memorial Scholarship. Erin is from Brucknell in Western Victoria and also won the judging section of the youth camp this year. With the scholarship valued at $2000 Erin says “that she would like to complete a course in Artificial Insemination and also look at purchasing a camera that can be used for cattle photography”.

Collaboration with dairy industry organisations is integral to the running of the Camp and the camp today wouldn’t be where it is without its generous industry sponsors including Genetics Australia, Dairy Australia, National Centre for Dairy Education Australia, Holstein Australia, Jersey Australia, Semex, BOS Trading, GippsDairy, ABS Australia, CRV, NHIA, Pfizer, HICO, JD events, Murray Goulburn, Fonterra, Heiniger, National Foods and Performance ProBiotics.

The grand finale for the week will be the Exhibition Day on Saturday 7 January, 2012. The community is welcome to attend this event.

The cost is $295 per person for the five-day program and the deadline for applications is 9 December 2011.

For more information or an application form for the National All Dairy Breeds Youth Camp contact Sue Bird on 1300 0 NCDEA (1300 062 332) or email sbird@ncdea.edu.au