Youth Pages: Dairy Farming and 4-H

Mia Brown showing her calf at the Hammond Fair. Photo courtesy of Mia Brown.

Growing up on a dairy farm and being in 4-H has given me some great opportunities. Doing chores on the farm has taught me about hard work. Through 4-H, I have been involved in the Dairy Bowl competition, representing my county at the regional contest for three years and last year at the State level at Cornell. I learned how to judge dairy cattle and compete at the local competitions at the St. Lawrence County and Hammond Fairs. Best of all, I have been able to show 6 different Holstein calves over my years in 4-H (I owned 3 of them). I have steadily improved my placing in dairy showmanship.

I now have goals for myself through the farm and 4-H. I have become interested in the Brown Swiss breed and look forward to getting my own Brown Swiss calf in November. I want to continue to improve in dairy cattle judging and dairy showmanship. I want to be on the St. Lawrence Senior Dairy Bowl Team in 2012 and would like to qualify for the State competition again. And my biggest goal is to be a large animal vet or run my own organic Holstein and Brown Swiss herd. All this has happened because of 4-H and living on a farm!

For More information on the 4-H Vet Science Project visit http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/vetsci