Ag Science Field Day 2003

The 28th annual Agricultural Science Field Day, an outreach event attracting more than 3,000 FFA and 4-H high school students from California and adjoining states, was held in March. The Department of Animal Science participated by again hosting various judging contests for student participants. Students competed in 23 different contests, ranging from livestock to agricultural computer applications. Cal Aggie students, faculty and staff from most of the traditional commodity-based departments work together to coordinate and administer the campus' largest single outreach and recruitment event.

 Approximately 175 student competitors assembled near the Animal Science Feedlot to compete in livestock judging. Teams judged three classes each of swine, sheep and beef cattle. In each class four animals were placed according to how they measured up to an ideal breeding or market animal. Graduating senior Gillian Ferguson was the student leader of the group with Elisa Noble, another graduating senior, her assistant. Dana Van Liew and Professor Tom Famula were the staff and faculty advisers.

Sixty-four students competed in the dairy cattle judging contest held at the Dairy Cattle Facility. This contest was organized by Natalie Krout, an Animal Science student who judged dairy cattle in high school as a member of the Petaluma FFA dairy team and also shows her own string of registered Holstein cattle. She and her assistant, Liz Abell, a student and resident at the Dairy, helped UC Davis students halter break and clip the 20 Holstein and Jersey cows used for the contest. Doug Gisi was their staff adviser.

The Meat Judging contest had 53 student competitors. After donning cooler coats and hard hats, students broke into groups to place beef, lamb and pork carcasses as well as retail cuts. Quality and yield grading of beef carcasses was a tough assignment, but competitors were really put to the test when they had to identify 30 different retail meat cuts by species, wholesale cut from which the retail cut was derived and correct retail name. The contestants finished by giving oral reasons and answering a set of 10 questions. The student coordinator was Joshua Amador; staff and faculty advisers were Dan Sehnert and Dr. Y.B. Lee.

The light horse contest attracted 220 competitors who judged animals on conformation and performance. The student coordinator was Andi Adams; Dr. Jan Roser was faculty adviser.

Another 50 students participated in an abbreviated poultry competition; due to the quarantine for Exotic Newcastle Disease in southern California, the live-bird portion was eliminated. Rachelle Brammeier and Stephanie Little were student coordinators.

Judging competitions are as old as the campus, with documented events as early as 1906. Evaluating animals and meats teaches students how to choose market and show prospects, knowledge with practical application in many industry jobs. Requiring students to express their opinions verbally to someone familiar with the trends in the industry helps develop confidence and communication skills that are essential in future leaders. For the university, it's a great day for encouraging more agriculturally oriented students to come to UC Davis.