Every school year hundreds of FFA members across the state of Minnesota review the U of M’s 4-H knowledge manual “All About Dairy” to prepare for a knowledge test about the dairy industry as part of their Dairy Evaluation Career Development Event. One fact they need to know is that the dairy cow first came to Plymouth Colony in 1624. Thus a celebration is needed to commemorate the fact that 2024 is the 400th anniversary of the dairy cow coming to Plymouth.
Come join the Triton FFA Chapter, Triton FFA Alumni Chapter and the Dodge County FFA Chapters of Blooming Prairie, Byron, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Pine Island and Stewartville as we host a dairy show open to all Minnesota FFA member grades 7 through graduate level on June 6 and 7th, 2024 at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Kasson, Minn. The event will start on June 6th with stalling and health checks of animals in the morning, followed by a fitting and showmanship contest in the afternoon. Evening events include an open to the public Burger Bash meal, an awards ceremony for the day’s events and recognition of our sponsors after the meal. Friday June 7th will be the Holstein and All Other Breeds shows, Supreme Drive, and the release of animals upon completion of the show.
Show Manager Cadence Spearman is organizing the show, developing the registration website and managing the events along with other duties as part of her senior project to graduate from Triton High School
Minnesota has a strong tradition of being one of the country’s leaders in the dairy industry. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the state is the 7th largest dairy production state with 460,000 cows producing 10.4 billion pounds in 2022 at a value of $2.6 billion. In Southeast Minnesota, the counties of Houston, Fillmore, Mower, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona, Wabasha, and Goodhue have 100,700 head of dairy cattle contributing to 22% of the state’s dairy herd.
