Pennsylvania dairy 4-H members ages 15-19 may apply to attend the National 4-H Dairy Conference Sept. 28 – Oct. 1 in conjunction with World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., thanks to a grant provided to the Center for Dairy Excellence by the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association.
Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Animal Science is coordinating Pennsylvania’s delegation to the National 4-H Dairy Conference. Each county 4-H program can nominate two 4-H members and applications are available online at www.das.psu.edu. Click on “Dairy Cattle,” under “4-H Programs,” to find more information about the conference. All nominations must be submitted through local county extension offices to Penn State by July 21.
The annual conference draws about 200 4-H dairy youth from the U.S. and Canada, and includes tours of local dairy farms, the Hoard’s Dairyman farm, the National Dairy Shrine and Nasco. It also includes workshops about dairy product marketing, biotechnology, herd mating strategies and artificial insemination.
“We are excited to work with the Dairymen’s Association and the Center for Dairy Excellence to support this delegation,” said Dale Olver, Pennsylvania 4-H dairy specialist. “It is a real testament to the support system our young people have within Pennsylvania’s dairy industry.”
Delegates interested in attending this year’s conference should plan to miss an entire week of school.
Finalists will be interviewed by a selection committee at Penn State’s 4-H Achievement Days on July 29. Any finalist not attending Achievement Days will be interviewed by phone during that week. For more information, contact your local extension office or call Dale Olver at 814-863-3664.