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Youth Agriculture

All Youth Agriculture Content

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.

two young males with their show goats at a competition

4-H Youth Experience in Animal Projects – Purposes

4-H Youth Development must place an importance on developing “youth experience” versus “contest participation and competition."

4-H member working on a robotics project

Youth Development

SDSU Extension's youth development programs help prepare youth to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.

Group of Rangeland and Soils Day competitors observing grassland conditions during the competiton.

Judging South Dakota Rangelands for Livestock and Wildlife Values

Guide for judging South Dakota rangelands for livestock and wildlife values

Olivia Amundson, SDSU Extension Cow/ Calf Specialist, demonstrating an ultrasound machine to a group of 4-H youth.

SDSU Extension Hosts Cattle AI Day Camp at Cottonwood Field Station

December 03, 2021

Twenty 4-H youth involved in the beef project area traveled to the Cottonwood Field Station to participate in the South Dakota State University Extension Cattle AI Day Camp held Nov. 6.

A small herd of cattle grazing a hilly pasture in early fall.

Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum Workshop Postponed

August 16, 2021

The Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum Workshop scheduled for Aug. 19 at the South Dakota State University Extension Pierre Regional Center has been postponed.

a group of people in a grassy pasture

Rangeland and Soils Days set for June 2 in Murdo, Redfield

May 06, 2021

The event will focus solely on the Go-Getter (14-to-18-year-old) division. The Go-Getters will judge habitat suitability for cattle and grouse, in addition to plant identification and morphology.