4-H Dairy Youth Prepare for the Chautauqua County Fair

Jamestown, NY (July 12, 2024): Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth program recently held the annual 4-H Dairy Fitting & Showmanship Clinic to help 4-H youth prepare for the upcoming Chautauqua County Fair.

This hands-on clinic was hosted by Country Ayre Farm, the Woodis and Kimball Families at their dairy farm in Dewittville, NY. A special thanks to Heather Woodis, who serves as a volunteer on the 4-H dairy committee and her family members for hosting this clinic at their dairy farm. A total of 30 4-H dairy youth participated in this educational clinic learning how to wash, clip and groom a dairy calf, and teach the calf how to lead at the county fair. Many thanks to Bret Bossard from Barbland Dairy, Fabius, NY for working with the youth throughout the day providing clipping and showing demonstrations and encouraging each 4-H youth with individual comments. The youth gained many ideas and showmanship information from Mr. Bossard’s experience and skills showing dairy cattle.

Our Chautauqua County 4-H Dairy Advisory Committee planned and financially supported this clinic to provide the judge an honorarium, lunch, and snacks throughout the day for the youth and adult volunteers participating. Each 4-H youth received a gift certificate to a local agriculture supply store to purchase supplies for their project. The 4-H youth fundraise throughout the year allowing them to cover their costs of their many 4-H dairy activities.

This 4-H youth educational activity helps teach youth ages 5 – 19 dairy showmanship and various life skills as they worked closely with their peers, Mr. Bossard, and other adult volunteers at the clinic. Thanks to our older 4-H dairy youth and adult volunteers for their efforts helping at the clinic.

Fifty-three 4-H Dairy youth will be exhibiting their dairy animals at the Chautauqua County Fair in Dunkirk, NY on Thursday, July 18^th from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm at the Main Show Arena on the fairgrounds. The show will begin with Dairy Showmanship at 9 am, where our judge will place the youth on how they have trained and exhibit their dairy animal, followed by the conformation classes, where the judge places the animals based upon ideal conformation characteristics.

Also, fourteen 4-H dairy youth will be selling a cooler full of dairy products, coupons, and gift certificates from local businesses for dairy products at the 60^th Annual Meat Animal Sale on Friday, July 19^th, beginning at 12:00 noon. All are encouraged to attend to help support our youth at the Meat Animal Sale, with youth selling their Hogs, Goats, Chickens, Dairy Coolers, Lambs, and Steer to help them earn money to reinvest into their 4-H projects or save for their future.

For more information about the 4-H dairy project, the many upcoming 4-H youth shows at the county fair or for more details on the 4-H Meat Animal Sale, please contact Cornell Cooperative Extension - Chautauqua County at 716-664-9502 or Lisa Kempisty, Extension Educator at ljk4@cornell.edu.

Plan to join us at the upcoming Chautauqua County Fair to visit with and observe our outstanding 4-H youth exhibit their animals and other 4-H youth projects. The public is welcome Tuesday, July 16 – Sunday, July 21, with ticket information available by contacting the Chautauqua County Fair at 716-366-4752.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated July 12, 2024