If you’d like to enroll in the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers but can’t make it to Madison, consider attending over the internet through the school’s distance education option.

Entries for the 2002 Wisconsin 4-H Dairy Bowl competition on Jan.26 are due Jan. 4. The event will be at the Spring Hill Middle School in Wisconsin Dells, starting at 9:45 a.m.

A team of dairy cattle judges from the University of Wisconsin-Madison took first place at the Accelerated Genetics 8th Annual Midwest Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, Sept. 16 at Viroqua, Wis. The Badger judges, all students at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, won the contest and had the high individual scorer for the second year in a row.

The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers offers qualified students the chance to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course, special training sessions, seminars in the management of grazing-based dairy farms, farm internships, mentoring by experienced graziers and UW faculty, classroom and field experience, and the potential for future support and training.

Thirteen dairy youth received James W. Crowley Leadership Awards at the recently completed Wisconsin State Fair. These youth were rewarded for their outstanding dairy project work. Each award winner received a plaque provided by the James W. Crowley Dairy Management and Extension Fund.

Dane County won the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held Aug. 8 at the Wisconsin State Fair and earned a trip to compete at the National 4-H Contest in Madison held during World Dairy Expo. Dodge County finished second in the contest and will have the chance to compete at the Pennsylvania All-American Youth Dairy Judging Contest in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, according to contest coordinator Ted Halbach, UW-Madison extension dairy youth specialist.

Outstanding producing ability was recognized in each of the six dairy breed shows at last week’s Wisconsin Junior State Fair.

Twenty-two county groups were recognized for incorporating educational displays to inform urban consumers about the dairy industry during last week’s 2001 Wisconsin Junior State Fair Dairy Show. The educational displays were part of each county’s dairy cattle exhibit at the fair.

Content cows receiving top-notch, ’round-the-clock treatment and exhibits able to pass a “white glove” test were on display at last week’s Wisconsin Junior State Fair Dairy Show as part of the junior herdsmanship competition. Dairy youth exhibitors from 40 Wisconsin counties competed for the title of champion herdsmen.

Kent Weigel has joined the Department of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as assistant professor and extension specialist in dairy cattle breeding and genetics. Weigel will also serve as genetics program administrator for the National Association of Animal Breeders, which will provide partial salary support and research funding for the position.