Members of the Pawsitive Attitudes 4-H Club, Abigail, Catherine Jonathan and Ruth Anne Osborne, with their co-advisor Lydia Osborne, attended the DairyPalooza (West) event held recently at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.
Attendees learned from professionals who came from all over the state to encourage and instruct 4-H members. A comprehensive Quality Assurance program was also provided, which attendees found highly informative and enjoyable.
DairyPalooza began in 2011 in northeastern Ohio. A group of dedicated 4-H advisors noted the lack of participation in state dairy events by youth in their area of the state and decided to start an educational dairy event to teach youth the skills they needed to succeed in their dairy projects.
With around 60 youth attending the first year, the event was deemed a success and was moved from its original location on a local dairy farm to the Wayne county Fairgrounds in Wooster, Ohio. With better facilities came a better program and from 2012-2014 the event gained popularity and attendance increased to nearly 350 youth and adults.
The event was initially created to move around the state, so that youth from all corners of Ohio could attend and learn. In 2015, it was decided that the event needed to grow and reach even more youth and thus DairyPalooza Northeast was moved to Trumbull County and DairyPalooza West was created in Auglaize County. A core of dedicated volunteers worked to put on both events, ensuring that dairy youth across Ohio have the opportunity to learn and grow through their 4-H dairy projects.
According to Catherine Osborne, President of Pawsitive Attitudes 4-H club, “It was yet another highlight in my 4-H experience. I will definitely look forward to going every year.”
Abigail Osborne, Reporter
Pawsitive Attitudes 4-H Club
