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4-H Enrollment Deadline is February 15

4-H Enrollment deadline is less than a month away! Join now.
🍀 Returning families – visit https://oh.4honline.com and log in using your username (email address) and password. Do NOT create a new account! Can’t remember your password? Click “forgot password” on the log in page.
🍀 New families – visit go.osu.edu/JoinAdams4H to find a list of clubs with contacts, project information, and how to enroll.
🍀 Need more information or assistance? Give us a call at the Extension office at 937-544-2339.
Enrollment deadline is February 15.

Individual Fundraiser – Pearl Valley Cheese

Each year the 4-H Advisory Committee offers an individual fundraiser opportunity for members who would like to earn funds to cover the cost of educational opportunities offered through 4-H. Again this year, we will be working with Pearl Valley Cheese to offer their delicious, high quality 12 ounce blocks of cheese for $8 each. Each member will receive credit for 100% of the profit from their sales to be used for camp, horse camp, CWF, Kids College, or other educational opportunity.

Order forms are available at the Extension office and will be collected on March 19 during candy pickup at the fairgrounds. Cheese will be ready for distribution on approximately April 9. All members who sell cheese will be notified of specific pickup date, time, and location.

Rabbit Breeder List

The Adams County 4-H Small Animal Committee has compiled a list of individuals that breed rabbits that should be the correct age for our fair. This list is for information only. Exhibitors are in no way required to purchase rabbits from these individuals. The committee does encourage members to work with a reputable rabbitry and get on a list early.

Ryan Shoemaker 937-798-3733

Heather Simpkins 937-50-1089

Kelley Yeager 937-763-8753

Elaine Hinton 937-728-0175

Preston Simmons 937-481-1412

Ted Stidham 740-464-7393

Kim Dye/Brad Puckett 513-484-6810

Robin Yates 937-515-9988

Donnie Swayne 937-779-2936

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Donnie Swayne or the Extension office.

Forestry and Wildlife Camp Registration Open!

The Forestry Wildlife Camp is open to campers in grades 7-11. Registration for camp is due April 1. Campers can enjoy wildlife education, fishing, hiking, tree climbing, outdoor survival, ODNR careers & college opportunities, learning about forestry and more! Registration can be found online at http://go.osu.edu/ForestryWLCamp25
They will also need experienced camp counselors to assist at this camp. Counselor fees will be covered with our Ohio 4-H Foundation grant funds. The link for camp counselors to apply is http://go.osu.edu/25forestrycampcounselorapplication . Those are due March 21.

Ohio 4-H Conference Registration Due Friday!

The 2025 Ohio 4-H Conference will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on Saturday, March 8! 4-H volunteers and teens (age 13 and older) are invited to join us for a day of education and connection as we learn how to make the best better for Ohio 4-H programs.
To register, please send your session choices to rowe.316@osu.edu no later than noon on Friday, February 7.
The Adams County 4-H Advisory Committee budgets funds each year to help offset the cost of attending the Ohio 4-H Conference. First preference is given to teens who register and the remaining funds are divided equally between registered volunteers. Carpooling available!

Revolution of Rabbit Opportunity

The Revolution of Rabbits program is a terrific opportunity for youth with limited resources to raise and exhibit market rabbits at the Adams County Fair. The goal of the program is to teach youth responsibility as they learn to care for animals, keep records, and successfully complete a project while also making friends, having fun, and giving back to their community. 

Through this program, qualifying youth join a 4-H club, learn about rabbits, and rabbit care, and receive three young rabbits. The program loans members all the supplies necessary for the project, including a rabbit hutch, feed, feeders, waterers, and 4-H record and resource books. The program also provides rabbits and training/mentorship about how to best care for the animals, finish the record book, and successfully complete the project. After completing the requirements and selling their pen of market rabbits at the fair sale, each participant returns $60 of sale proceeds to the 4-H Small Animal Committee to cover program costs, which assures program sustainability. Participants receive the balance of the sale proceeds. 

Any youth who is at least 8 years old and in the third grade and who either has not previously been in 4-H or has not previously participated in a 4-H market animal project, is eligible to apply for this program. The youth should enroll in an Adams County 4-H Club, sign up for the Market Rabbit project, and complete and return the application and commitment form by the February 15 enrollment deadline.  

For more information about Revolution of Rabbits program visit https://go.osu.edu/RevolutionApplications are due February 15 and award winners will be notified before the end of February. If you have questions about the program, need a paper application, or for help enrolling, visit the Extension Office or call us at 937-544-2339. 

Mentors Needed for Afterschool Programs

We are looking for adults and older teens to mentor youth in grades 4-6 at our afterschool STEM program beginning in February 2025. North Adams Elementary will meet on Tuesdays and West Union Elementary will meet on Thursdays, 2:45 – 4:45 p.m. February through May. Mentors will be paired with 2 to 3 youth to assist with activities led by OSU Extension staff.

Adults are required to complete a BCI background check if not a current 4-H Volunteer. Training and resources provided!

Teens – Community service hours available for BETA or National Honor Society members!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Extension office at watters.92@osu.edu or 937-544-2339.

Changes to Junior Fair Bake Off for 2025

New for 2025 Junior Fair, Bake Off participants will sell in the Senior Fair Bake Sale on Wednesday evening of the fair. All Junior Fair Bake Off participants will be eligible to sell as long as they have met the eligibility requirements for the contest including completing a food related project. Champion and Reserve entries will be recognized during the auction.

This change allows youth participants to sell in both the Senior Fair Sale AND take a livestock project through the Junior Fair Sale.

Deadline to register for the Bake Off will be June 1. Recipes and registration information will be available in early May.

 

Commercial Swine Project Opportunity

Adams County Junior Fair is adding an additional opportunity to members interested in exhibiting swine at the county fair! New in 2025 will be the Commercial Swine Project.

The goal of the commercial market swine project is to provide the opportunity for members to raise a commercial market animal at a reasonable cost to the exhibitor that can compete against similar backgrounded animals. There will be a limited number of animals available. Members will know if they are selected to participate by February 21.

To participate in the commercial hog project:

  • Members will need to enroll in project 140 Market Hog Project by the February 15 enrollment deadline.
  • Must be a member in good standing of either Adams County 4-H or an Adams County FFA Chapter.
  • Preference given to first or second year livestock member.
  • May take only ONE commercial hog project.
  • Must attend the market hog clinic on March 1.
  • ALL swine department rules for market swine apply to this project.
  • Commercial Market projects may sell in the Junior Fair Sale. Members may only sell one lot in the sale.

Animals for this project will be supplied by the Junior Fair board at cost to the exhibitor. Exhibitors will pick up their animal at the fairgrounds at the designated date and time. Animals will be chosen through a lottery system. All exhibitors will receive one bag of feed with their hog to get started and access to an appropriate feed ration at a reasonable cost.

Hogs will be tagged and weighed on the day of pick up. Established fair weight limits apply to ALL swine projects.
Commercial hog classes will be shown at the beginning of the market hog show. First and second place class winners will be eligible to compete for Grand and Reserve Champion Market Swine. Commercial swine will be eligible to compete for Production Champion Market Swine.

To apply visit go.osu.edu/CommercialSwine.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Kristy at watters.92@osu.edu.