4-H Thrive! Help Youth: Light Their Spark PHOTO A spark is something youth are passionate about; it really fires them up and gives them joy and energy. Help youth find how this project excites them. Flex Their Brain The Dairy industry is one of the foundations of agriculture in California. There is so much more to it than just producing milk! The dairy industry has The brain grows stronger become a sophisticated business and there’s a lot to learn beyond when we try new things and exhibiting your project. master new skills. Encourage • Acquire skills in dairy production through ownership and care of youth effort and persistence to dairy animals. • Learn marketing, processing, distribution, consumption and use of dairy animals and products. Reach Their Goals • Practice principles of cleanliness and sanitation in production and Help youth use the GPS sys- tem to achieve their goals. Starting Out Learning More Exploring Depth Beginner Intermediate Advanced Goal Selection: Choose one meaningful, realistic and • Know your dairy breeds • Be able to identify a • Learn body condition demanding goal. • Identify parts of your sick animal, how to scoring. Pursue Strategies: Create a animals and learn to treat it and future • Be able to debate on step-by-step plan to make evaluate your animal. prevention. animal welfare issues. daily choices that support • Feed and groom your • Understand medication • Learn about breeding your goal. animal. uses, storage, how to and reproduction Shift Gears: Change strategies • Demonstrate multiple administer the techniques. if you’re having difficulties showing techniques. medication and how it • Investigate signs and reaching your goal. Seek • Keep cost records relates to food safety. causes of mastitis. • Learn to make ethical • Learn the appropriate • Explore careers in dairy Reflect decisions about animal handling techniques production. Ask project members how they welfare. and appropriate • Use records to make can use their passion for this housing for dairy cattle. management decisions. project to be more confident, competent and caring. Discuss ways they can use their skills The activities above are ideas to inspire further project development. This is not a complete list. to make a contribution in the Expand Your Experiences! Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Learn about new technology developments in the dairy industry. • Teach your club about genomics and genetic progress in dairy cows. Resources • Read about important food safety concerns with dairy cattle. • Showring Ready Healthy Living www.holsteinfoundation. org/pdf_doc/workbooks/ • Learn nutritive value of dairy products and promote their use. Show- • Research lactose intolerance and why it affects some people. ring_Ready_Workbook.pd f
Citizenship • Judging Dairy Cattle • Have your animal as part of a petting zoo, sharing the importance of the dairy exten- industry. sion.oregonstate.edu/ • Be a part of a dairy promotion event catalog/4h/4-h1109.pdf
Leadership • MSUCares Preparing To Show Your Dairy Animal • Teach others about showmanship techniques. http://msucares.com/ • Organize a county grooming clinic. pubs/publications/ • Arrange a tour of a local dairy. p1759.htm
Connections & Events Curriculum 4-H Record Book • Hoards Dairyman http://www.hoards.com/ Presentation Days – Share • Cowabunga 4-H Record Books give blog_showmanship-tips what you’ve learned with http://www.4-h.org/ members an opportunity to others through a presenta- resource-library/ record events and reflect on tion. curriculum/4-h-dairy- their experiences. For each project, members document cattle/cowabunga/ Field Days – At these events, their experiences, learning • Mooving Ahead 4-H members may partici- and development. pate in a variety of contests http://www.4-h.org/ related to their project area. resource-library/ 4-H Record Books also teach curriculum/4-h-dairy- members record manage- Contact your county 4-H of- cattle/mooving-ahead/ ment skills and encourage fice to determine additional them to set goals and devel- opportunities available, such op a plan to meet those as a field day. goals. PHOTO
UC ANR 4-H Youth Development Program (2016) • http://4h.ucanr.edu Authored by