While summer and county fairs are still a few months away, Wisconsin dairy cattle judges need to be thinking about renewing or obtaining their Wisconsin Purebred Dairy Cattle Association judging certification. PDCA has scheduled its annual judges training for Saturday, April 30 at Mapleton Valley Farm in Oconomowoc and Four-Winds Farm in Hartland.

To be a certified PDCA judge, individuals should attend a conference every four years. Judges who demonstrate appropriate skill levels at the conference are listed as “PDCA recommended” with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. WDATCP maintains a listing of registered county fair judges. In addition, a list of high-placing judges at the conference will be forwarded to all of the Wisconsin county fairs.

The conference”s morning program will start at Mapleton Valley Farm and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. The afternoon portion of the clinic will take place at Four-Winds Farm starting with lunch at noon concluding at 3:30 p.m. The $30 conference fee includes lunch and beverages. Youth groups are encouraged to attend at a reduced $10 per-person rate. Tina McDonald of Hartland, Wis. will officiate the conference. McDonald is on the approved judges list of the American Guernsey Association and has judged numerous national and state level shows.

Conference attendees are slated to judge six individual animal classes and will overview showmanship fundamentals. The conference will feature five breeds including classes of Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, Holsteins and Milking Shorthorns along with two classes of Guernseys.

More information and registration materials are available by contacting Ray Kuehl, (608) 849-4000 or (608) 849-7917. Completed registration forms and payments (check payable to PDCA) may be sent to Kuehl at 204 W. Main Street, Waunakee WI 53597. The registration deadline is April 25, and the conference fee is due upon sign-in at the conference.