It was started by members of Iowa State’s Dairy Science Club.

ISU dairy students devote one weekend each year to educating young people between the ages of 9 and 18 about the dairy industry during the Iowa Junior Dairy Coalition (IJDC).

Last weekend there were around 90 participants from across the state for the coalition’s third year, organizers said. About 20 ISU Dairy Science Club members traveled to Cedar Rapids to serve as chaperones for the program.

The coalition goes smoother and gets better each year, said Stacia Piggott, a junior in dairy science.

“This was our best year,” she said. “We had great participation and everybody got to know each other.”

The quiz bowl competition was a highlight of the coalition because it allowed students to gain information about the industry, Piggott said.

The coalition was developed to fill the need for an activity to involve junior dairy producers, said Andrea Steffens, a junior in dairy science. It is modeled after the Wisconsin program.

“We’re really excited about it,” Steffens said. “This has provided students with an opportunity to meet one another and start networking early.”

Naomi Stammeyer, a sophomore in dairy science, said she hopes the participants learned more about the dairy industry and realized that dairy farming is not just milking cows.

Stammeyer said the Dairy Science Club members work throughout the year to plan and fund-raise for the event. She said members who organized the conference have learned from the experience and improved their teamwork skills.

IJDC began with 70 students and has continued to grow. The same group of children continue to come back and their parents keep asking about it, Steffens said. The coalition could be a potential recruitment tool for the ISU dairy science program because it shows opportunities involved with the dairy industry, she said.

IJDC kicked off with leadership programs Friday night. Dairy Science Club members served on a panel where the children asked questions about their personal and professional experiences. The night ended with a pool party and a dance.

On Saturday students took part in different workshops involving reproduction, leadership, farm safety and promotions and nutrition. Through meetings with state representatives the students also had the opportunity to learn more about their respective dairy breed associations.

The conference concluded with a banquet Saturday night including a slide show and the final round of the quiz bowl competition.