NEW THIS YEAR! All youth planning to show Goats at the Dane County Fair must meet these species specific educational requirements:

• Attend at least one approved education event (listed below)
• Education Requirement Card – Complete this card after attending a species-specific education meeting/event to confirm attendance during the dates of 6/16/24-6/15/25. You should upload the completed card by June 15.
  • To upload the education card, please save the document as a JPG, TIFF, or PDF. Youth can take a picture of the education card to upload.

• Complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certificate between 9/1/2024-6/15/2025. Youth can complete this certification online anytime. There is a $12 fee for the online training. YQCA is designed as an annual education and certification program focused on food safety, animal well-being, and character awareness for youth ages 8 to 21. The program has been designed by extension specialists and national livestock program managers to ensure it is accurate, current, and relevant to the needs of the animal industry and shows and is appropriate for youth.
• Submit your YQCA certificate by June 15 via the ONLINE PORTAL - opens in April. Failure to submit this card by June 15 at 11:59pm will make you ineligible to show your animal at the Dane County Fair.

• 1/21/2025 – 4-H Animal Health Education from 6:00pm-7:00pm at St. Martin School (5959 St. Martin Circle, Cross Plains). No Cost. The Ashton Go Getters 4-H Club is hosting an education opportunity focused on animal health, illnesses, symptoms of stress, and common treatments. Learn how to keep your animal healthy and happy, especially if they are going to travel to a fair this summer. Shane from Waunakee Veterinary Service will present the information. Animals covered will be beef, dairy, swine, sheep, poultry, rabbits and goats. This meeting is designed for youth in Grades 3+ and all youth should have an adult present. RSVP with Mary – 608-212-4173 or m.hellenbrand@outlook.com

• 3/6/2025 – Show Feed Webinar at 6:00pm offered by Theisen's & Sunglo show Feeds. This event is open to all skill levels and each attendee will receive valuable coupons as well as a chance to win exciting prizes! During the webinar, we’ll cover topics such as animal selection, show feed tips and management, Sunglo feeds and supplements available at Theisen’s, and we’ll conclude with an open Q&A session. Animals covered will be beef, swine, sheep, and meat goats. You can register for the event via the following link: Theisen's Sunglo Webinar Registration Link

• 3/17/2025 – Meat Goat and Sheep Nutrition Workshop (Gr 3-13) – from 6:30-7:30pm at The Feed Store at Middleton Farmers Cooperative (1755 Pleasant View Rd. - next to the gas station). This hands-on, interactive education program share information on nutrition, feeding techniques, and show tips for sheep and meat goats to gain a leg up for show season! CLICK HERE to register.

• 3/18/2025 – Management for your Animal Project from 6:30pm-7:30pm offered by the Wisconsin Youth Livestock Program. This session will identify tips and tricks related to management of your animal project. Biosecurity standards are the best practices in raising animal, this meeting will stimulate thoughts on how to minimize disease spread. Dr. Gretchen May from DATCP, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, will be the speaker. Animals covered will be dairy, beef, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, and rabbits. CLICK HERE to register.

• 4/21/2025 – Dairy Goat Nutrition Workshop (Gr 3+) – from 6:30-7:30pm at The Feed Store at Middleton Farmers Cooperative (1755 Pleasant View Rd. - next to the gas station). This hands-on, interactive education program share information on nutrition, feeding techniques, and show tips for sheep and meat goats to gain a leg up for show season! CLICK HERE to register.

• FFA Curriculum
• Online Education - Approved options for Dairy Goat education.
  • The American Dairy Goat Association Genetics Performance Program Webinar
  • Dairy Goat Production Testing Webinar #1
  • Dairy Goat Body Condition Scoring (20 min)