NORWICH – Twelve youth involved with the Chenango County 4-H Dairy Program have been spending the month of July traveling all over central New York to learn how to judge dairy cattle and put what they have learned to the test by competing in state-wide 4-H dairy cattle judging tours.

Teaching more than just how to pick the “pretty” cow, coaches Greg Evans and Keith Campbell have been working to teach how to pick the functional cow that will stand the test of time. The coaches have also been working with the group on how to give a set of oral reasons – the how’s and why’s of dairy judging that the 4-H’ers use to defend their placings. The ultimate goal of the program is to teach dairy cattle evaluation while strengthening public speaking skills at the same time.

Local farms have opened up their barns to the group for judging practices. Thanks to the following farms and families for hosting: The Meisner Family, Harpursville; Adam Evans and Family, Norwich; Peter and Kathy Walrod, Georgetown; Holcomb’s Guernseys, Greene; Mac-Mara Holsteins, Marathon; Greenview Holsteins, Bainbridge; Gretna Brown Swiss, Otego; Smith Farm, Norwich; and Unadilla Valley Holsteins, Edmeston.