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Want to dig in to a 4-H project that’s a good match for staying at home? See our collection of Perfect Stay-at-Home Projects.  When a copy opens on your screen, you can save or print it from there. Stay at home and stay healthy, 4-H’ers! (For accessible formats of these publications, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility.)

To add one of these great project options to your 2020 Adams County 4-H enrollment email watters.92@osu.edu or rowe.316@osu.edu before the April 15 deadline to add or drop projects.

Adams County 4-H has extended the deadline to add or drop a project to April 15 in order to give members and families as much flexibility as possible given the current situation.  In order to add/drop a project you will need to send an email to Kristy at watters.92@osu.edu or Barbie Rowe rowe.316@osu.edu stating what project you would like to add or drop.  We will update your record in 4-H Online.

As you consider your projects going forward, Ohio 4-H offers this advice to livestock exhibitors:

• 4-H members and their families should consider a number of factors as they make their decisions to purchase 4-H market livestock projects. As with any agricultural enterprise, possible risks and rewards must be taken into account. For example, we encourage families to consider their overall available budget, space to care for livestock, availability of alternative markets, availability of local processing and family freezer space.

Club advisors, please post your enrollment report in your Facebook group, email them out to your club or in some other way get confirmation from members that they are in the project(s) they want.  If you need assistance running an updated enrollment report, please reach out to Barbie and she can assist you.

4-H Families,

We were notified late Tuesday of the following:  “Extension Administrative Cabinet has extended the prohibition of in-person programming from April 20 to May 15. This includes all 4-H programs, activities, and events. This is a necessary and prudent precautionary action that will allow us to continue to monitor the situation while offering an estimated date after which we can begin to reschedule 4-H and other OSU Extension programs, activities and events. I apologize that this information appeared in the Ohio 4-H Highlights before you were able to share it in your counties. As you know, the situation is dynamic and changes daily, so please be aware that this timeline may be extended beyond May 15. We will continue to monitor conditions and will reevaluate this date as needed and inform you as soon as it is feasible.”

I spent much of yesterday clarifying what this means for our members moving forward.  At this time it does NOT mean we won’t have a fair, project judging or camp.

Livestock:  I am working with our Sr Fair Board to finalize a method to register livestock for the fair.  The Ohio 4-H Office is working with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to provide additional guidance on how that “tag in” process might look for this year.  Ohio 4-H is also working to provide us other ways to provide Quality Assurance.  I have held off on sending further instructions for the online QA until I see what our options are.  There is still plenty of time to complete Quality Assurance as the requirement to complete 45 days before the fair has been waived for 2020.  Exhibitors must complete before the fair begins.  Ohio 4-H offers the following advice to livestock members:

• 4-H members and their families should consider a number of factors as they make their decisions to purchase 4-H market livestock projects. As with any agricultural enterprise, possible risks and rewards must be taken into account. For example, we encourage families to consider their overall available budget, space to care for livestock, availability of alternative markets, availability of local processing and family freezer space.

Project Judging:  With regard to hosting other large group activities this summer, such as project judging, we plan to have a decision by May 1.  At this time members should continue working through their projects.  Project judging may look different or be at a later date but we are committee to completing our 4-H year.

Camp:  Ohio 4-H has asked us not to accept registrations or payments for camp until after April 15.  By that time we should be better able to make decisions regarding summer scheduling.  We will continue to work to train our counselors and be prepared for 4-H Camp this summer.

Meetings:  The move to virtual meetings seems to be working for many of our families, but we recognize it doesn’t work for everyone due to accessibility issues in parts of the county.  We are continuing to explore options and will share more in the next few weeks. In the meantime, there are tip sheets for club leaders with options and ideas for holding virtual club meetings at go.osu.edu/4hadvisorinfo; we will continue adding information to this site.  If you are interested in holding a virtual meeting and need assistance, please feel free to reach out to me.  Ohio 4-H has extended the timeline to meet the 6 meeting requirement to 12/31/20.  This gives our clubs opportunity to meet after fair to complete their programming year.  I do encourage clubs to continue communication with members and families through some format.  If virtual meetings don’t work well for your group, check in via phone, text, etc.  Members can upload photos or videos of their projects to your club Facebook group or send directly to the advisor.

I know there are many uncertainties during this time and that is frustrating for many.  I share those frustrations.  I appreciate your patience and understanding as we all try to work through this situation together.

Please continue to watch your email for updates and share with other members in your club.  Reach out to me if you have questions or I can help in any way.

Stay healthy,

Kristy

Due to restrictions currently in place because of COVID-19 we are extending the deadline for market hog registration cards and photos to May 8.  At this time we plan to distribute tags after the April 20 ban on activities has been lifted.  We are working on a plan B in the eventuality that date is extended beyond April 20.

The optional hog weigh in has also been postponed from April 18 to a later date.  We are working with Senior and Junior Fair Boards to reschedule that weigh in.

If you are purchasing market hogs from a breeder, remember to have them complete the producer affidavit for “Never Fed Ractopamine”.  You will need to submit this at check in during the fair along with an affidavit signed by the exhibitor and their parents/guardians stating you have not fed ractopamine.  Both of these affidavits can be found at https://adams.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/animal-projects#Swine .

Please continue to check your email regularly for updates.

I know you there are a lot of questions right now, especially surrounding the fair, camp and project judging.  The only answer I can give you right now is I don’t know.  No one does right now.  We can’t control the wind, but we can adjust our sails so that is what we are doing.  The office is closed but we are still working hard remotely to make sure that if we are allowed to have regular activities this summer, we are ready to go.  We are adjusting dates as much as we can to give families the most time to make decisions.

Updated Calendar – Visit our website https://adams.osu.edu for the most up-to-date calendar.  All 4-H events, including club meetings, between now and April 20, 2020 must be postponed, canceled or held virtually.

Give a Hand – Give a Can to Hunger – Even though clubs are not meeting, the donation bins for our canned food drive are out and we are encouraging families that can, to drop items into these bins.  We have faithful advisors collecting these donations and delivering them to the Inter-Faith House.  There is such a great need for these donations at this time that we are not halting collection.  Items especially in need are things that are kid friendly: Mac n Cheese, Spaghetti O’s, cereal, breakfast bars, pop tarts, canned fruits and veggies, etc.  We are extending the food drive through May 15 in order to give clubs time to participate.  Remember to mark your items with your club number for tallying.  A list of locations and club numbers can be found at https://u.osu.edu/AdamsCounty4H.

Add/Drop a Project – This deadline has been extended to April 15 in order to give members and families as much flexibility as possible given the current situation.  Club advisors, please post those reports in your Facebook group, email them out to your club or in some other way get confirmation from members that they are in the project(s) they want.  Members can add/drop any projects at this time.  You will need to send an email to myself, watters.92@osu.edu, or Barbie Rowe, rowe.316@osu.edu, so we can update your enrollment in 4-H Online.

Project Books – All clubs had picked up project books by closing yesterday.  There were a handful of extras in the office.  If you are missing a book, please notify myself or Barbie.  If you need additional books because you have added a project you can order online at https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/.  They will be shipped directly to your home.

Market Turkeys – We were unable to pick up and distribute due to all of the restrictions in place.  These members can add another project.  We are able to add to our chicken and duck orders if they would like to switch to a different poultry project.

Market Hogs – Registration/pictures will be due on May 8.  We are working out tag distribution.  Watch for further details.  The optional market hog weigh-in has been postponed.  We will notify you once the date has been set.

Quality Assurance – The Ohio Department of Agriculture has waived the 45 day before exhibition requirement for 2020.  Exhibitors must complete QA before the first day of exhibition.  That gives us more time to get QA in before fair.  There is also an online option available.  Youth livestock exhibitors (8-18) may take the online YQCA certification but there is a $12 fee.  Each member of the family must take it separately.  The website is https://yqca.learngrow.io/ and we will post the instructions on the blog and Facebook soon.

Candy Bar Fundraiser – For the time being this is on hold.  We are hoping we can conduct this fundraiser in May.  We will communicate dates to you as soon as we know more.

Virtual Meetings – There are options to hold virtual meetings.  I posted a resource to our Adams County 4-H Facebook page yesterday that provided some details.  Virtual meetings can count!  Ohio 4-H has also extended the time period in which we have to meet 6 times until December 31, 2020.  That means you have several more months for members to get in their 6 meetings but I do encourage you to try to keep in contact in some way through this time period.  This can be an isolating experience for some and we want to make sure our members are continuing to learn, explore and engage.

Communication – We will continue to use the Facebook page, blog (subscribe at https://u.osu.edu/AdamsCounty4H and email as our main forms of communication.  The fastest way to reach Barbie or me is through email.  If you need to call, the office number is still working and we can answer/check voicemails and will continue to do that through normal office hours.

I know this is a lot of information.  Things are changing quickly on our end and we are doing our best to keep you up to date.  Let’s work together, stay positive and keep doing positive youth development.

Thanks,

Kristy