Ms. Bonnie Ayars, Dairy Program Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University
Dairy Palooza was held on April 22 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. As usual, we had the support of several donors who committed their resources to the dairy 4-H youth of Ohio. This year, we created a slightly different version with more focus on quality assurance (QA) training and assessment.
In the morning session, attendees made their usual rotation of each good production practice (GPP) and also the thank you writing session. After lunch and the group photo, we then had workshops focusing on clipping, fitting, and showmanship. We also incorporated hands-on learning activities for each of the GPP to reinforce what was taught in the morning. An added twist was a quiz bowl demonstration using all QA questions. Cloverbuds were also fortunate to have a separate format for the day.
More than 165 youth attended with many adults present who also could attend adult sessions on social media and dairy marketing update.
It takes a league of volunteers to plan and manage the day of activities. We appreciate all who make time to be a part of the action.
The 2024 Dairy Palooza will be held at the Canfield Fairgrounds in Mahoning County on April 20. We are pleased to return to this location and look forward to feedback from this year’s format while continuing to exercise the 4-H motto of “making the best better.”