High School Day

Dairy Cattle Judging Contest – 9:30 - 11:30 am (Individual and Team Contest) The contest will consist of four classes; comprised of cows or heifers from Holstein, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Jersey breeds.  Five questions will be asked on two classes.  Questions will serve as the tie-breaker for both teams and individuals.  Twelve minutes will be allowed for each class.  A school may enter a maximum of two teams or eight contestants.  A team will consist of 4 members.  The top three scoring contestants will comprise the team score, the lowest scoring contestant will be the alternate and will also be eligible for individual honors.

Dairy & Livestock Skillathon Contest– 9:30 – 11:30 am (Individual Contest) The contest will consist of identification and description of various aspects of the livestock and dairy industries.  Materials may be identification of breeds, equipment, health products, parts of the animal, dairy products, meat products and industry knowledge questions.

Equine Competition Contest – 9:00 am - 11:30 am (Individual and Team Contest) Equestrian Center Contest will include English tack identification, points of the horse, and ageing a horse through teeth. Students compete as individuals. Team scores will be tallied.

Livestock Judging Contest - 9:00-11:30 am (Individual and Team Contest) The contest will include three traditional judging classes (four similar animals per class) that may include meat goats, hair sheep, swine, and/or beef cattle. Questions on the classes of livestock will also be a part of this contest. Ties will be broken based on questions. Ten minutes will be provided to place and answer questions for each class.  Each team must have four members.

Meat Processing Lab Contest - 9:00-11:30 am (Individual Contest) - Ctr for Ag & Natural Resources Room 034 Visit the USDA inspected meat processing lab and test your knowledge in the meat industry.  Topics covering beef, pork, and/or lamb. In addition to a short individual knowledge contest, the meat lab will be available to tour with students/staff to answer questions about the space and the courses offered at SUNY Cobleskill.

All Agricultural Engineering Contests will need to be pre-registered for by 9/22/2025 in order for your students to compete in contests.  You will be receiving email correspondence from the department regarding pre-registration for all Agricultural Engineering contests.  You will need to confirm your attendance when you arrive in the Curtis-Mott Lounge on High School Day. 

 Ag Engineering Field Demonstrations - Demonstrations of the latest technology will be ongoing throughout the morning. 

Hydraulic & Light Construction Equipment Operation Contest - 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest)
Part 1:  Student must pass preliminary written test on safe operation and use of controls for the machines to be operated in the contest (Reference:  Machine Operator’s Manuals)
Part 2:  Students may choose from 1 of the 3 contests listed below….

• Operation of a John Deere 317 Skid Steer with foot controls through a timed obstacle course.
• Operation of a John Deere 650H Dozer through a timed blade-control training course.
• Operation of a Bobcat ZTS Excavator moving objects in a confined space. Operator’s choice of            Backhoe or Excavator control patterns.
  NOTE:  Limit of 2 contestants from each school in each of the three options in part 2

Identification of Information Technology Components Contest – 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Individual Contest) 

Participants will be asked to identify information technology hardware common to commercial applications.  Designated rooms/labs will be used to set up 15-20 stations of computer hardware/components and networking-related hardware or printed images of hardware.  Each station's device or image will be covered so that contestants can't try to gain an advantage from a distance.  Students will be given a sheet to identify the device at each station, and will then have 5 minutes to go through as many stations as possible, attempting to identify the devices.  Scoring for the contest will then be for correct number of stations identified, using time as a tie-breaker.

Small Gas Engines & Troubleshooting Contest – 9:00 to 11:30 am – (Team Contest)
Each group of 2 students will take a timed, written and hands-on test consisting of such topics/tasks as: Overhead valve tappet adjustment, parts identification, engine operation theory, tool identification and electrical/electronic engine troubleshooting principles.  Two individual contestants per school.  Contestants must provide their own safety glasses.  Tools are not required.

Tractor Driving Contest – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest)
Part 1:  Student must pass a preliminary written test on safe operation and use of controls of modern agricultural tractors.  Part 2:  Two-wheel trailer event NOTE:  Contest is open to students age 14 and older, with experience in the safe operation of modern agricultural tractors.  Participation is limited to 3 students per school. 

Welding Contest– 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest) 
Part 1:  Written exam on safety and general knowledge. 
Part 2:  Arc Welding:  Contestants will be expected to make a one-sided open electric arc butt weld and a one-sided horizontal fillet weld.  NOTE:  Three individual contestants per school.  Contestants must supply helmet, gloves, and safety glasses. 

Canine Contest - 9:30 to 11:30 am This contest will consist of students taking a "Guess the Breeds" quiz.

Forest Tree Identification – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest)
Trees chosen from Cornell 4-H Bulletin J-85.  May use branches with or without fruits and fruits alone.

Fisheries & Wildlife – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest)
Participants will be asked to identify fish and wildlife species common to New York State. 

Insect Identification – 9:00 to 11:30 am.– Individual Contest)

The identification by common name of 25 injurious and beneficial insects found in New York State. 

Weed Identification – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest)

Identification of common northeastern U.S. weeds by seed and vegetative parts.   

Ag Sales Contest – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Team Contest)

Teams of 3 to 4 students from each school are to make a 10-minute sales presentation to a panel of judges about an agricultural product of their choosing. Product features and benefits, potential target customers, questions to determine customer wants and needs, and anticipating customer concerns and objections should be included.  Teams should bring enough product materials for 3 judges.  After the presentation, judges will ask teams questions for up to 5 minutes.  This event is limited to the first 8 teams that sign up.  Please contact mooretw@cobleskill.edu to pre-register. 

Food Science Competition – 9:00 to 11:30 am (Individual Contest) – Champlin Hall Kitchens 215 and 220 Step into the World of Food Science! Do you love food, creativity, and a little friendly competition? Here’s your chance to explore the world of food science through hands-on challenges! Test your sensory skills with a triangular test, sharpen your nose in the aroma test, and unleash your creativity in the product development challenge, where you will design the ultimate Rice Krispies treat creation and pitch your idea with a marketing plan. This contest is a fun way to learn about food science, show off your skills, and prepare for the Food Science CDE Contest at State Convention—all while discovering the exciting opportunities this field has to offer!

General Business Trivia Blast – 9:00 to 11:30 am

Join us to test your trivia skills! A combination of brain-twisting business and celebrity entrepreneur questions.  It is a 15-minute test offered every half hour starting at 9:00. Test your knowledge of companies, events, and individuals such as John Deere, Steve Jobs, The Great Depression, and more.

Landscape Design Competition – 9:30 am (Individual Contest)
This is your chance to make your mark as a landscape designer. The Landscape Design Competition is where you can showcase your creative skills by transforming a blank site for a client. This individual contest encourages you to harness your creativity. All necessary drafting supplies, a base map, and a client profile will be provided so you can focus on crafting your design. With these tools, you'll conceptualize and plan your design in 90 minutes or less. The competition will commence at 9:30 AM, so please ensure you're punctual. Arriving a few minutes early is advised for event instructions.

Baked Bars Contest - 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Team Contest) - One team (up to 4 members) may enter their best “bar” recipe (ie. brownies, blondies, apple, lemon, cheesecake, etc.). Your bars will be judged on the quality and flavor of the bar, technique, creativity, and presentation. You must include a copy of your recipe with your entry. Competitors will display their whole tart with one piece cut and plated for the judges to taste. Competitors will be given a 36” space for their display. Bars should be pre-baked but teams may complete some final assembly on site if necessary. Tarts must be set up and ready for judging by 10:00 AM. Students may pick up their displays by 11:30. Please note: Due to a space constraint this year, there will be a limit of 1 team per school for this contest and there will only be 20 spaces available. Reservations for a space can be made by email to campbed@cobleskill.edu. 

Biotechnology Workshop – 9:00 - 11:00 am The contest will consist of a hands-on lab on plant tissue culture and genetic engineering.  High school students will have an opportunity to work with tobacco plants, taking explants, preparing them for tissue culture in sterile media and simulated genetic engineering protocol. Students will learn sterile technique which is used in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and medical research laboratories.

Canine Kennels Open House - 9:30 to 11:30 am The Canine Department will present a guided tour of Animal Science Building D with current students present in a training room to show off some of the training they learn on campus.

Carriage House Marketplace and Café Open House – 9:00 to 11:30 am

The Carriage House is an official Taste New York retail location featuring local and campus-made products.  The Carriage House is located next to the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources on Schoharie Parkway North.

Dairy Processing Center Open House – 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The Dairy Processing Center will be open to visitors to showcase the equipment used to bottle milk and make cheese, yogurt and ice cream.  Samples of milk and cheese curd will be available.  The Dairy Processing Center is located next to the dairy barn.

Fish Hatchery Open House - 9:00 to 11:30 am

Herpetology Open House – 9:00 - 11:30 am
Wildlife Management students will provide supervision and instruction on the general life, care and handling of common reptiles found in New York.  Participants will have the opportunity to handle various species of live reptiles. 

Industry Expo –9:00 to 11:30 am – Curtis-Mott Hall
Representatives from the businesses supporting the programs in the Ag Engineering Department will be on site to discuss employment in our industry.  Come see some of the high-tech equipment you could work with in the future!   

Meat Processing Lab – 9:00 - 11:30 AM - Ctr for Ag & Nat. Resources 034 The USDA inspected meat processing lab will be open to students/staff to tour the facility and to answer questions about the space and the courses offered at SUNY Cobleskill