Minnesota?Äôs State Champion 4-H Dairy Knowledge Bowl team from Meeker County competed against 15 other state champion teams from throughout the United States at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7. Dairy Bowl is a ?Äúquiz bowl?Äù competition where all questions deal with dairy topics. Teams of four to six members take a written test and also compete with
each other in giving oral answers to questions posed by a moderator. Questions are on topics such as nutrition, reproduction, milk quality, and judging. Teams receive points for correct answers and may lose points for incorrect answers. The team with the highest final score is the winner. The contest is organized on a double elimination basis with winning teams advancing into further rounds until a champion team is selected.
Meeker County 4-H Senior Team at national competition in Louisville, Ky., are, left to right, in back, Jim Salfer (coach), Sawyer Eblen, and James Gathje. In front are Katherine Gathje and Shelby Kuechle. Submitted photo.
The Meeker County team placed second overall. Our Meeker County team battled it out in a couple of close matches with New York, who came in first. The winner of the first match with New York was even determined by bonus points. Team members included James Gathje of Richmond, Katherine Gathje of Richmond, Sawyer Eblen of Belgrade, and Shelby Kuechle of Eden Valley. They were coached by Jim Salfer of Dassel. James Gathje, one of our Meeker County 4-H?Äôers, placed sixth overall in the written test. The team earned the trip by placing first in the Minnesota State contest in April.
For more information on how to become involved in Dairy Project Bowl or 4-H, please call the Meeker County Extension Office at (320) 693-5275, (toll-free
1-877-993-5275), e-mail dacole@umn.edu, or visit our website at www3.extension.umn.edu/county/meeker.