NEWPORT — Saturday, February 25, was a day of fun and friendly competition for 32 members of Northeast Kingdom 4-H clubs.
The occasion was the 2023 Northeast Region 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl, the venue, the Orleans Elementary School in Orleans.
At stake, a chance to place in the top six in their age group to earn a ribbon.
The competition gave the 4-H’ers an opportunity to showcase their dairy knowledge through participation in a written test and fast-paced buzzer rounds.
They scored points for knowing the answers to questions about the dairy industry from ruminant nutrition, milk production and anatomy to calf health and marketing of dairy products, among other topics.
Placements were as follows:
8- and 9-year-olds: Eli Lidback, Westmore (first); Patrick Paquet (second) and Ella Purchase (third), both from East Montpelier; Deegan Michaud, Greensboro (fourth); Ryan Holbrook, Hardwick (fifth)
10- and 11-year-olds: Carys Wood, East Montpelier (first); Leah Whittemore, Orleans (second); Katelyn Sibley, East Montpelier (third); CJ McNeely, Lunenburg (fourth); John Demaine, Glover (fifth); Trevor Smith, Hardwick (sixth)
12- and 13-year-olds: Anna Whittemore, Orleans (first); Talon Michaud, Greensboro (second); Dawson Michaud, East Hardwick (third); Eva Bury, Derby (fourth); Nora Demaine, Glover (fifth); Emmeline Paquet, East Montpelier (sixth). Also participating: Alexa Graham, Potton, Quebec; Olivia Houghton and Reegan Kelley, both from Derby; Emma Pothier, Newport
14-year-olds and older: Morgan Michaud, East Hardwick (first); Natalie Michaud, Greensboro (second); Madalyn Perry, East Montpelier (third)
Eight 4-H Cloverbuds, ages 5-7, took part in buzzer rounds although points were not tallied. Instead of the written test, they worked on a dairy activity booklet that included a word search, maze and a dairy breed and terminology match game.
Receiving rainbow participation ribbons were Hannah Birch, Derby; Jade Demaine, Glover; Audrey Lidback, Westmore; Ella Whittemore, Orleans; and Carson Ayer, Jasper Paquet, Scarlett Perry and Sophie Purchase, all from East Montpelier.
Quiz bowl was coordinated by University of Vermont Extension 4-H educators Lindy Birch and Holly Ferris with milk provided by Orleans County Dairy Promotion.
Room moderators included adult volunteers Jared Birch, Wheelock; Leslie Michaud, East Hardwick; and Maddie Nadeau, Derby.
4-H teen Liviya Russo, Lunenburg, assisted by reading questions for the buzzer rounds. She was ineligible to compete at this event because she was a member of the Vermont 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl team last year.
Scorekeepers were Brooke Bury, Peggy Kelley and 4-H teen Grace Patenaude, all from Derby, and Clara Nadeau, Holland. Hilary Paquet, Melissa Purchase and Jodi Sibley, all from East Montpelier, scored the tests.
Sarah Birch, Derby, tabulated the overall results.
For information on the Vermont 4-H dairy program in the Northeast region, contact Lindy Birch at [email protected].
