The Dodge County Dairy Youth participating in the dairy project will again be recognized for their hard work at the 2012 Dodge County Dairy Youth Recognition Auction. The auction will be held on Sunday, August 19th at the Dodge County Fair in the Farm Progress Arena. The pre-sale luncheon will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m., followed by the auction at 11:30 a.m.

A maximum of 16 Dodge County Junior Dairy Show participants will be represented in the auction. To qualify, the youth must have won at least one of 15 classes at the 2012 Dodge County Fair. The 16th lot at the 2012 auction will be filled by a random drawing from all dairy youth exhibitors who have turned in an educational card of at least 20 points.

Live animals will NOT be sold, but rather a symbol of the sale participant’s achievements will be offered for this sale. The auction items for the 2012 sale are several dairy farm designs embroidered into 60”x80” wool blankets from Personalized Products of Hartford.

All of the money generated through the Dairy Youth Recognition Auction is carefully being allocated to help as many 4-H, FFA and junior breed organizations in the Dodge County Dairy Project as possible.

The 2011 auction averaged $1,362 returned to the participants, and a total of $6,500 in scholarships was awarded to post-high school students who attend two and four year degree programs. Winners of this year’s scholarships will be announced at the Dodge County Fair, just prior to the 2012 auction.

The list of activities receiving financial support is growing yearly and includes field trips, educational literature, Junior State Fair exhibits, dairy judging, Badger Dairy Camp and Dairy Bowl. Those dairy youth learning life skills by turning in the top 4-H record books in dairy also received $25.

Anyone interested in Dodge County Dairy Youth is qualified and encouraged to participate as a bidder at the Recognition Auction. Bidders will be provided with free gate admission for Sunday. Please RSVP to the Dodge County UW-Extension Office, (920) 386-3790 so we may better serve you.