QLD youth are back in action

Earlier this month Queensland’s All Breeds Dairy Committee hosted their first All Breeds Educational Dairy Youth Camp and Calf Day since 2018.

Camp numbers were restricted this year and 24 students attended from both dairy and non-dairy backgrounds. The Committee reports 12 to 14 kids were not from farming backgrounds.

The camp ran over the course of 3 days from Wednesday to Saturday and students were sorted into groups with a mixture of ages as well as experienced and inexperienced participants. The goal was to get all the children aged 10 to 17 working as a team and give them practical experience.

Each tutor mentored on topics such as conformation, clipping, parading and judging. Mentors included Holstein Australia classifier Phil Hentschke and Mike Hentschke from South Australia and locals Paul Newland of Foothills Holsteins and Simon Tognola from ST Genetics.

The camp was also visited by the local accountant, ambulance and vet who instructed them on money management, CPR and how to dress snake bites and burns.

Committee Member Anne Daley says the decision to have smaller groups worked very well.

“All the kids learned a lot, made new friends and enjoyed the experience and we found having a smaller number this year gave the kids more one on one time with the tutors” says Anne.

She says the Committee is hoping to run another one next year.

Committee Member Bronwyn English says sponsors increased their regular sponsorship this year because they saw so much value for the local youth.

“We run the camp on a shoestring and we try to keep it as affordable as we possibly can and we are always inclusive of non-farming farming families” says Mrs English.