All youth planning to show Beef at the Dane County Fair must meet these species specific educational requirements:
- Attend at least one approved education event (listed below)
- Education Requirement Form – Complete this form after attending a species-specific education meeting/event to confirm attendance between September 1 2026 and June 1, 2027. The completed form should be uploaded by June 1 to the FairEntry online portal that opens in April.
- To upload the education form, please save the document as a JPG, TIFF, or PDF. Youth can take a picture of the education form to upload.
- Complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certificate between 9/1/2026-6/1/2027.
- Complete all training, and submit education form and YQCA certificate number by June 1 via FairEntry portal - OPENS in APRIL. Failure to submit this form and YQCA 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.
2027 Approved Education Offerings - MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED AS APPROVED
Discover 4-H Beef Curriculum – DCF Education Requirement - Grades 3-5 and beginners – Review section 1 and complete the Project Game Plan on pages 6-7. Upload answer sheet with education card. For all ages - Review packet and complete page 31 Common Showmanship Questions for your animal. Upload answer sheet with education card.
Online Education - Approved options for Beef education; certificate of completion is required for any online education option.
- Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) for Producers – www.bqa.org
- Beef University - Free sessions (Grades, Cuts and Preparation; Beef Nutrition; and Raising Beef) for beef certification. Must include certificate of completion for one of the sessions with your Education Card. Sessions listed at: https://www.beefu.org/
- Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) - https://mba.beeflearningcenter.org/course/ - course
consists of five lessons
(MUST complete all 5 for certificate) in beef advocacy, including:
- The Beef Community - Context of raising beef from pasture to plate focusing on the community of people involved throughout the beef lifecycle.
- Raising Cattle on Grass - An introduction to the first step in the beef lifecycle and the many benefits of raising cattle on our country’s vast grass pasture resources.
- Life in the Feedyard - A discussion on the role of feedyards, including animal care, nutrition and environmental stewardship, at this important step in the beef lifecycle.
- From Cattle to Beef - An in-depth look at the slaughter process and the humane handling and safety measures in place at today’s beef processing facilities.
- Beef. It's What's For Dinner. - A primer on choosing and cooking the right cuts of beef and the important role of beef in a healthful diet.
The online lessons address environmental sustainability, beef nutrition, animal welfare and beef safety while taking advocates through the beef lifecycle, from pasture to plate. The course also offers historical context on the evolution of the U.S. beef industry from the time the first cattle were brought to North America to today.
Upon completion of five interactive online lessons, advocates will be equipped with the communication skills and information to be confident in sharing beef stories on social media and in our communities to help others better understand how cattle are raised and how beef belongs as part of healthy, sustainable diets.