YOUNG dairy enthusiasts from across SA converged on the Adelaide Showground last week for the fifth SA All Breeds Dairy Youth Camp.
The camp drew strong numbers of more than 40 young people aged from five upwards, with main age group 11 to 17.
Participants learnt skills ranging from clipping and leading cattle through to judging and microphone skills.
They also had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by taking on the responsibility of fostering teams.
The camp culminated in a mini show on the Wednesday in which participants put some of their newly acquired skills to the test, judged by Rob Walmsley.
Holstein Australia SA president and camp co-organiser Gino Pacitti said the goal of the camp was to see participants enter or re-enter the dairy industry.
"As long as they're still associated with the dairy industry and we've helped the agricultural sector, that's our main goal," he said.
Particularly pleasing for Mr Pacitti and fellow organiser his wife Mandy was the fact that five young people who participated in the first camp at Myponga in 2005, attended this year's event to help run it.
"Those kids started as youngsters and they're only in their late teens and early 20s now, so they've seen the benefit of the sort of work we do with kids and experienced life outside of their own farm environment," Mr Pacitti said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, April 24, 2014 issue.
