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Youth For The Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) logo in front of a black and white image of a young girl feeding a small animal with a bottle

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) in South Dakota 4-H resources

About YQCA – the national program
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national multi-species quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21 with a focus on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development. The YQCA program is an annual certification created for youth producing and/or showing beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, swine, poultry, and rabbits. 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 learning levels.

A yellow ear of sweet corn.

Sun-Drying Corn

Fact sheet on sun-drying corn

A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables displayed on a countertop.

Solar Drying Fruit and Vegetables

Fact sheet on solar drying fruits and vegetables

A red-purple plum.

Drying Plums

Fact sheet on drying plums

Glass bowl full of freshly harvest chokecherries.

Drying Chokecherries

Fact sheet on drying chokecherries

A yellow ear of sweet corn.

Using Dried Corn

Fact sheet on ways to use dried corn

Sun-drying screens with a white sheet in the middle

Sun-Drying – A Traditional Native American Method of Preserving Food

Curriculum developed to facilitate the education of a cultural tradition for youth in Native American and non-Native American communities.

harvester chopping corn silage, depositing silage into green wagon.

Silage: Minimizing Losses and Maximizing Value

Optimizing silage value starts by harvesting at the right moisture content.

a variety of bright colored fruits and vegetables arranged on a table

A Guide to Drying Foods

Fact sheet about drying foods