All youth planning to show Dairy at the Dane County Fair must meet these species specific educational requirements:

• Attend at least one approved education event (listed below)
• Education Requirement Card – Complete this card after attending a species-specific education meeting/event to confirm attendance. You should upload the completed card by June 15.
  • To upload the education card, please save the document as a JPG, TIFF, or PDF. Youth can take a picture of the education card to upload. Save as LastName.FirstName.Species (e.g.,Smith.Chris.Dairy) before uploading to the online portal.
• Complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certificate between 9/1/2023-6/15/2024.
  
• Complete all training, and submit education card and YQCA certificate by June 15 via the ONLINE PORTAL. Failure to submit this card by June 15 at 11:59pm will make you ineligible to show your animal at the Dane County Fair.
• If showing in more than one species, youth must complete and submit the requirements for each species separately.

• 1/23/24 – "Large Animal Fair Education" presented by Waunakee Veterinary Services at Ashton Go-Getters Club Meeting - OPEN TO ALL - 6:00-7:00pm at St Peters School in the lunchroom/basement (7121 County Rd K, Middleton). No RSVP needed. Attendance will be taken. Make sure to bring a copy of the Education Card with you to have the presenter sign on-site.

• 3/19/2024 – 4-H Dairy Judging Practice (Gr 3+) from 7:00-8:00pm at 4-H Office (5201 Fen Oak Drive, Madison). 4-H Dairy Judging information meeting and first practice. Join us to learn more about Dairy Judging and how you can get involved in the 4-H statewide event. Judging dairy cattle is a comparative evaluation of cattle in which animals are ranked based on their closeness to “ideal” dairy conformation. No fee or need to pre-register for this meeting.

• 4/6/2024 – 4-H Dairy Farm Tours from 8:00am-4:00pm at Jefferson County Extension Office (864 Collins Road, Jefferson). If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Committee Leader Bill Uecker (blluecker@gmail.com).

• 4-H Dairy Judging Practices - dates and locations below, all are at 7:00pm. Dairy Judging Practice is designed for youth in grades 3+. Participating in Dairy Judging provides an excellent opportunity for youth to not only increase their knowledge of evaluating dairy cattle but also develop and hone valuable communication skills that will be useful for a lifetime. Youth do not need to attend all practices to participate in competitions. No pre-registration or cost to attend. Reach out to Cassie Endres, ckendres@uwalumni.com, 608-279-5970 with any questions about 4-H Dairy Judging.
  • 4/15/2024 – 4-H Dairy Judging Practice – 7:00pm at Endres Berryridge Farms (7094 Hyer Road, Waunakee)
  • 4/22/2024 – 4-H Dairy Judging Practice – 7:00pm at Nick Woldt (1749 Meadow Lane, Sun Prairie)
  • 4/29/2024 – 4-H Dairy Judging Practice – 7:00pm at Fertile Ridge (2190 State Road 78, Mount Horeb)

• 4/23/24 – "Moo-ving Minds: Connecting Students to the Science of Dairy and STEM Career Opportunities" – 6:00pm-7:00pm – ZOOM Session. Registration required - CLICK HERE to register. Come learn about the shared vision of science educators and the dairy community working together to incorporate accurate science about dairy into classroom instruction. The efforts span the nation featuring local dairy councils, including Midwest Dairy and Florida Dairy Farmers. The discussion also includes science and STEM career opportunities in dairy and agriculture.

• 5/4/24 - "Dairy Project Learning Day" – 8:00am-4:00pm – Jefferson County Fair Park. FREE to attend, but registration is REQUIRED - CLICK HERE to register by 6pm on Thursday, April 25. Join the Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Committee for Dairy Project Learning Day. Engage in hands-on activities designed to ready your dairy project for show day. Professionals from the dairy industry will be available to guide youth during the event. This workshop is open to all 4-H/FFA/Breed youth in Dane, Dodge, Columbia, Jefferson, Rock, and Waukesha Counties. All experience levels are welcome. Youth will be grouped according to skill level. Parents/Leaders may accompany youth during the workshop. Questions? Contact Jefferson County Dairy Youth Committee, Zach Tolzman 608.642.1400 or Bill Uecker at 920.285.9125. For more details and schedule for the day, CLICK HERE.
  • What To Bring: Clippers and fitting supplies (extra equipment will be available) & Proper footwear for working with animals
  • **If youth are only interested in coming to a portion of the day & not the full event, please complete the registration AND call Bill Uecker at 920-285-9125 with details on which sessions the youth will attend.

• 6/1/24 – Cows on the Concourse Education Volunteer
• 6/8/24 – Dane County Breakfast on the Farm Education Volunteer or Presenter
• 4-H Team Dairy Judging Practices - variety of dates
• Dairy Judging Team Member/Leadsperson
• Dane County Dairy Bowl 4-H Team Member
• Dane County Dairy Bowl – Attended Practices
• District Show Exhibitor – Holstein and Color Breed equivalent
• Mid-West National Holstein Show Exhibitor
• PDPW Leadership Program
• WI State/National Breed Show
• FFA Dairy Education Qualifying Events:
  • FFA Dairy Cow Judging or Dairy Products Judging
  • FFA State Dairy Judging/Showmanship
  • FFA State Dairy Proficiency Application Completed
  • Central National FFA Dairy Events (Dairy Evaluation or Milk Quality)
  • SC WI FFA Regional CDE – Janesville (Dairy Evaluation or Milk Quality)
  • SW WI FFA Regional CDE – Platteville (Dairy Evaluation or Milk Quality)
  • State FFA CDE – Madison (Dairy Evaluation, Milk Quality, or Dairy Handling)
  • Completion of State FFA Dairy Proficiency Award or Diversified Livestock (that includes dairy)
  • Current school year completion of high school (must have dairy unit) or technical college (transcripted credit) Animal Science course