PA Youth Practice Quality Management

          Good production practices are essential in any Agricultural endeavor.  Farmers across the nation depend on producing quality animals and crops in order to have a successful farm and business.  This is also the philosophy Penn State Cooperative Extension instills in Pennsylvania 4-H members with Animal Science projects.   
           All 4-H members with any type of Animal Science project are required to take a Quality Assurance and Ethics class.  This workshop focuses on a set of Good Production Practices that have been selected by Penn State Cooperative Extension Staff.  Each year, the program will focus on three of these Good Production Practices so that nine will be addressed by the end of a three year period.  As a result, 4-H members gain life skills that will enable them to produce quality food and companions for consumers.
            This year, members are learning the various components of an effective management plan.  They are learning that prevention is a key to this plan.  They are also learning about biosecurity and reducing the spread of disease between animals and between facilities.  Members are learning about their impacts on the United States’ food supply and their responsibility to their consumers.  Above all, members are learning that the welfare of their animals and their consumers should always take first priority.  
             Clinton County 4-H members have already begun these trainings. Penn State Cooperative Extension Staff will offer a total of 9 trainings throughout the coming months.  So, when you see all the 4-H livestock and horse projects at the Clinton County Fair, you can rest assured that they have been raised using good production practices.  You can also feel confident that these animals will yield the best products a consumer could ask for.