The MN Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (MN PDCA) is announcing the date and site for the 2023 Dairy Judges Training Conference. This year’s clinic will be May 20, 2023 at Do-N-Joy Farm in Arlington, MN. This conference is for adults who are interested in being listed on the 2023 MN PDCA approved judges list. Current and new judges are encouraged to attend. Registration information can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MNPDCA
The Conference will begin with registration at 9:30 am including coffee, milk and rolls. The morning workshop will begin at 10:00 am. Presenting will be Ted Halbach, Dairy Management Faculty, UW-Madison. Ted Halbach has judged numerous shows at all levels along with serving as the Dairy Evaluation Instructor and Team Coach for UW-Madison. Internationally judging assignments have taken him to Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador. He served on type committees for Holstein USA and the Brown Swiss Breeders Assn. Halbach also chaired the PDCA committee charged with revising the Dairy Cow Unified Score Card and the Showmanship Evaluation Card. Prior to joining the faculty at UW-Madison, Halbach owned and co-managed Marana Dairy Farms, AZ, which was a herd of Holsteins and Brown Swiss that garnered Premier Breeder banners at five Western National Shows along with many All-American nominations in both breeds. Halbach will present on the current Unified Score Card, Breed type and the latest Showmanship procedures and evaluation card. Lunch will be served following this session.
The afternoon session will find conference attendees working with live cattle classes to improve evaluation and reasons skills along with working toward selection of champions. Included in this session will be work on implementing the latest Showmanship procedures in your Youth Shows and using the Showmanship Evaluation Card. Instructors for this session will be Tom Foss and David Hanson. Tom Foss grew up on his family’s farm where they had Milking Shorthorns. He attended the UM-Twin Cities where he was on the college dairy judging team. Currently Foss works for ABS Global as a Sire Evaluator. In 2005, he and his partners purchased their first Brown Swiss cow and have gone on to develop Pit-Crew Genetics into a dominant force in the Brown Swiss breed. As a judge, Foss has served as official in the Open Class, 4-H & FFA shows at the MN State Fair, South Dakota State Fair, and numerous other States. He has also served as official for the NAILE Milking Shorthorn Open Show and was the associated Judge for the 2015 World Dairy Expo International Brown Swiss Show.
David Hanson grew up at Good-Vue Ayrshire farm where he is still involved with his family’s herd. He graduated from the UM-Twin Cities with a degree in Animal Science and a minor in Applied Economics. While in college he was a member of the Dairy Judging Team. David and his wife Ashley live and work in Nicollet, MN on her family’s operation which consists of Holsteins, Ayrshires and Brown Swiss. Between them they have exhibited many All-Americans in the Brown Swiss and Ayrshire breeds. In 2021 Hanson served as official for the NAILE Open Ayrshire Show. He has also judged many local, state and national shows.
Questions can be directed to MN PDCA President Paul Fritsche at [email protected] or by calling 507-276-6810. Registration fee is $25 per attendee and includes all materials, meals and refreshments. Early registration by May 1st is requested to facilitate planning. All attendees who complete the conference will be added to the MN Livestock Breeders Assn. Approved List of Dairy Judges.