WLIC's DNA Fair Program started in 2007 as a youth outreach program. WLIC partnered with the
Wisconsin State Fair and county fairs to teach youth showing livestock the technology of the new RFID tags for livestock – providing both the RFID tags and stick reader to use as part of the State Fair's weigh-in, and then as part of State Fair entry day check-in.
In 2013, WLIC added the DNA component, taking over this program from the Wisconsin State Fair. DNA hair samples provided a way to ensure the animal that exhibitors brought to the first weigh-in, was the same animal brought to show at the Wisconsin State Fair. This was especially important for the livestock auction, as the grand champions often brought in large sums of money.
As part of the youth program, and for those counties that handle the program within the county, WLIC offers discounted RFID ear tags to county fairs for beef, swine and sheep, and offers a free loan of the stick readers (needed to read the tags) if the county does not have one.
WLIC also provides the complimentary service of formatting the county fair files to load onto the stick reader, and provides training on the LightingRod and Herd Mangement software program to counties for their use during the fair check-in.
Sheep and swine deadlines are coming up soon - all orders must be received by close of business on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.
