Fair

Adams County Junior Fair Commercial Swine Program

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Commercial Swine Program

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.
  • Must attend the market hog clinic on March 7.
  • There will be no top weight limit for Commercial Swine classes only. Minimum weight limit of 220 lbs must be met to sell.
  • ALL other 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.
  • Apply at go.osu.edu/commercialswine by February 15.

Animals for this project will be supplied by a local breeder at market cost to the exhibitor. Price will be per pound based on local market results the week of the clinic. 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. 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.

Market Beef Tag-in, Saturday, December 27

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All market beef (steers and heifers) to be exhibited at the 2026 Adams County Fair will be tagged and weighed on Saturday, December 27 at the Adams County Fairgrounds.

We will begin at 8:30 a.m. and all cattle must be in line by 10 a.m.

New for 2026! We will have a dairy market steer division. Dairy market beef may be any dairy breed, steers only. No beef cattle cross will be permitted. All other market beef rules apply.

Adams County Born and Raised market beef forms should be turned in at tag-in. Forms can be printed here or picked up at the Extension office.

Pre Fair Judging Schedule and Guidelines

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Pre fair project judging will take place at West Union Elementary School on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Please enter on the playground end of the building near the school cafeteria.

The schedule and project requirements for pre fair judging can be found at https://adams.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/non-livestock-projects. Members should plan to bring a completed project book as well as all other required items listed for their project(s). Food & Nutrition project members are required to complete the Food & Nutrition skillathon while at judging. Clothing members are required to participate in the Style Revue at 3:30 p.m. that day. Family and friends are welcome to attend the Style Revue in the school cafeteria.

Woodworking, welding, and crop projects will complete interviews during the fair. Please see the Junior Fair schedule for check-in and interview times.

Projects MUST be displayed in the Junior Fair booth building at the Adams County Fair in order to be eligible for premiums, awards, and State Fair qualification. If your club does not have a booth, you should drop your project off on Saturday, July 5 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the booth building.

If you cannot attend on June 24 but would still like to complete your project, there are two options for makeup.

  • Early makeup – Tuesday, June 17 by appointment. If you complete this makeup you ARE eligible for awards, premiums, and OSF.
  • Makeup – Tuesday, July 1 by appointment. If you complete this makeup you are eligible for premiums and will counted complete.
  • If you need to attend either makeup judging session, please call the Extension office at 937-544-2339 to schedule a time.

 

Adams County Bake Off Recipes and Registration

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JUNIOR FAIR BAKING CONTEST
Wednesday, July 9 @  12 p.m.
Judging: 1:30 p.m. Awards: 4:30 p.m.
Senior Fair Administration Building
Entries are due in the Extension office by June 1. Register at go.osu.edu/BakeOff
  1. The Junior Fair Baking Contest is open to current members of any Junior Fair organization or club that have completed a food and nutrition or related project.
  2. Participants may only be registered in one category and may represent only one Junior Fair organization or club.
  3. Members must submit entries by 4:00 p.m. on June 1st to the Extension office.
  4. Each participant will: a) Bring the baked item they have prepared themselves according to the recipe provided by the Junior Fair Board. b) Be required to take a written food preparation and nutrition test when entering the baked item. c) Submit their baked item in a sealed container. NO EXCEPTIONS or you will not be allowed to register.
  5. All baked goods must be registered Wednesday of fair between 12:00-12:30 p.m. Judging will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Senior Fair Administration Building.
  6. Scoring will be as follows: a) Quality of baked item – 60%. b) Nutrition test – 40%.
  7. If a participant earns less than 50% on the written food preparation and nutrition test, the baked good will not be eligible for placing or for the sale. Any participant who has difficulty reading should notify the contest chair(s) at time of registration so assistance can be provided.
  8. Classes will be divided into Junior (8-12 years of age) and Senior (13 years of age and older). All ages as of January 1st of the current year.
  9. Junior categories: Quick Bread, Cookies, and Basic Cake
  10. Senior categories: Yeast Bread, Pie, and Specialty Cake
  11. Awards will be presented Wednesday of Fair at 4:30 p.m. in the Senior Fair Administration Building.
  12. The awards given will be: Grand Champion – Rosette, Reserve Champion – Rosette, 3rd through 5th places – Rosettes. Each participant will receive a participation ribbon.
  13. All entries will be eligible to sell in the Senior Fair Baked Goods Sale on Wednesday evening. Grand and Reserve Champion baked goods will be announced.

Adams County Fair Royalty Applications Available

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Adams County Junior Fair is calling on all member ages 16-18 to apply for the Adams County Junior Fair Queen & King Contest. Individuals interested must be an active member of a Junior Fair Organization such as: 4-H, FFA, FCCLA, Scouts, or SkillsUSA. Applications are available on the website (adams.osu.edu) or by visiting the Extension Office.

Applicants will participate in an interview on June 18. After the interview participates will be called back to participate in a public onstage event. Following the onstage interview, the top five candidates for Queen and King will be announced in no particular order. These candidates will ride in the 4th of July parade. On Sunday, July 6 during Fair opening ceremonies the top 5 candidates for Queen & King will participate in an onstage interview and the King and Queen will be crowned.

Royalty serve as role models to younger members and representatives of the Adams County Fair during shows, events, and at other fairs across the state.

If you are interested in running for Queen or King applications are due to the Extension office June 1 at 4 p.m.  If you have questions, please contact Kristy at watters.92@osu.edu.

2025 Adams County Junior Fair Livestock Deadlines

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Large animal breeding, dairy, dairy goat, and specialty goat registrations are due May 1. Small animal (non-market) registrations are due June 1. To enter your non-market animal(s) for the 2025 Adams County Junior Fair, please visit the appropriate link(s) below.

Due May 1

Due June 1

Spring tag-in will be held Saturday, May 3 at the fairgrounds.

  • Feeder calf – 8 a.m. – 12 noon
  • Market goat – 8 – 10 a.m.
  • Market lamb – 10 – 11 a.m.

Market rabbit tattooing will take place Thursday, June 12, 7 – 9 p.m. in Shade Tree Park at the fairgrounds.

Market poultry is registered at the time of fair check-in on Sunday, July 6.

Quality Assurance Dates Announced

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All Junior Fair exhibitors of beef, dairy, goat, poultry, rabbits, sheep and swine projects must annually attend a qualifying Quality Assurance program or meet age-appropriate test out requirements on an Ohio Quality Assurance test at least 45 days before the start of the fair of the current year in order to exhibit their projects at the Adams County Fair.

The following opportunities are available in Adams County in 2025:

March 1, Fairgrounds, 10:30 a.m.

April 3, Fairgrounds, 5:30 p.m.

April 28, Fairgrounds, 6:00 p.m.

Rabbit Clinic

April 8, Fairgrounds, 6 p.m.

Online- $12 fee http://yqcaprogram.org

Members age 12 & up as of January 1 may test out of Quality Assurance. Tests will be administered at the dates and times listed and members must receive a 70% or higher to pass.

Test Out Dates

OVCTC – March 20, 9 a.m., Ag Business – UPDATED DATE

PHS – April 2, 2:15 p.m., Ag Room

NAHS – April 9, 2:20 p.m., Ag Room

MHS – April 10, 2:45 p.m., Ag Room

WUHS – April 16, 2:15 p.m., Room B104

Quality assurance must be completed no later than May 22, 2025. If members choose to do the online YQCA training, they must provide a copy of the certificate to the Extension office by emailing rowe.316@osu.edu.

Livestock clinics and QA opportunity this Saturday, March 1

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Hog Clinic will be held at 9 a.m. and take place largely in the hog barn. All Commercial Swine Program participants are required to attend but all swine members are invited. We will discuss selection, feed, care, and fair requirements. Please dress appropriately.
Quality Assurance will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the administration building. Members must stay for the entire QA session for it to count.
Goat Clinic will begin at 12 noon. We have Garrett Neff coming to present on the feeding, care, preparing for show. We will also cover fair requirements and identification.

Changes to Junior Fair Bake Off for 2025

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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

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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.