An important part of any animal science/livestock project is learning about responsible and ethical care practices. Minnesota 4-H offers training to educate participants on proper handling techniques, animal nutrition and ethics around caring for and showing animals. There are two options to complete the training.
- Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) refers to the online training. The online training is one hour long and must be taken using a desktop computer or laptop – it is not available with ipads or on other mobile devices. The Youth for the Quality Care of Animals training is one hour long and can be accessed through members’ 4Honline account. There is a cost of $12 that must be paid by credit card. A copy of the member’s certificate of completion should be turned in to the Extension Office
OR
- Livestock Quality Assurance (LQA) refers to the in-person, face to face training. This training is 3 hours and offered in various locations across the state. Certification is good for three fair seasons. The level of training required is determined by the grade of the youth at the time the training takes place. Depending on location of training, there may be a cost to attend.
The training is required for any youth who wish to exhibit beef, dairy, dairy goats, lama, meat goats, poultry, rabbit, sheep, or swine at the Minnesota State Fair.
Waseca County will NOT be hosting a face-to-face training in 2023. Rice County and Steele County will each be hosting a training. Dates, times and locations will be announced by February. In the meantime, you can view dates and times of trainings all across the state at https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-events/4-h-livestock-quality-assurance-training-lqa.
Keep checking this website as it is updated frequently.