Shelby County 4-H Camp:

• June 4-7th at Indian Hills 4-H Camp (8212 Lauver Rd. Pleasant Hill, OH 45359)
• Open to youth who have completed 3rd grade – 7th grade (Do NOT have to be in 4-H to attend!)
• Cost is $200 for Shelby County 4-H members, $215 for all other campers
  • Can pay with cash, check or credit card. Instructions for credit card payment below!
•  Registration is due no later than 4:30 PM on May 9th (all registrations after this date will be charged a $50 late fee)
  • Camp registrations will not be considered “COMPLETE” until both payment and registration forms are received! Camp registration forms can be dropped off or mailed to the Shelby County Extension Office (810 Fair Road, Sidney, OH). Additionally, camp registration forms can be emailed to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu or 937-419-7127!
  • Shelby County 4-H Camp Registration Form

Shelby County Cloverbud Camp:

• June 11th at Shelby County Fairgrounds (655 S. Highland Ave. Sidney, OH 45365)
• Open to youth who have completed Kindergarten through 2nd grade (Do NOT have to be Cloverbud members to attend!)
• Cost is $40 for all campers
  • Can pay with cash, check, or credit card. Instructions for credit card payment below!
• Registration is due no later than 4:30 PM on May 9th (all registrations after this date will be charged a $10 late fee)
  • Camp registrations will not be considered “COMPLETE” until both payment and registration forms are received! Camp registration forms can be dropped off or mailed to the Shelby County Extension Office (810 Fair Road, Sidney, OH). Additionally, camp registration forms can be emailed to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu or 937-419-7127!
  • Shelby County Cloverbud Camp Registration Form

Interested in paying with credit card? Scan the QR code above to be taken to the payment website.

PLEASE NOTE: When you are re-directed to the payment site, you will be asked to provide your email address and enter a one-time security code that will be emailed to you before you can complete your payment. Please do not close the payment site tab in your browser to check your email as you may not be able to return to input the code. Please check your email for the security code from “noreply@nelnet.net” in another browser or in your email app.

The last opportunity for Quality Assurance training in Shelby County is this Sunday, April 27th at 1 PM! 

• The training will be hosted in the EMA/Youth Building on the fairgrounds (enter from the back of building). You can park on the fairgrounds or in the Extension Office parking lot!

Per the rules of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, all livestock exhibitors (market and lactating species) must either attend a Quality Assurance (QA) Program or successfully test out of QA in order to exhibit livestock at the Shelby County Junior Fair or the Ohio State Fair. A parent or guardian of all junior exhibitors must also attend one of the sessions. Those exhibitors who take QA out-of-county are responsible for reporting and verifying what session they attended, as well as when and where.

QA Test-Out Option: Shelby County Extension and Shelby County Senior Fair Board allows 12-18 year-old (as of January 1st) 4-H and FFA members to test out of their annual Quality Assurance (QA) program. Test Outs will be offered April 27th at 12 PM in the EMA Building on the Fairgrounds. Please email miller.11920@osu.edu if you intend to take the test out on 4/27! 

If you have any questions, please email Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu or call 937-419-7127! Thank you!

In partnership with The Ohio State University Extension Beef Team, and 4-H Youth Development, the Ohio Beef Youth Council is offering two informational clinics (one in Columbus and one in Wooster). A great opportunity open to youth 8-21 years of age and parents!

• Sunday, May 4th, 2025 from 12-2 PM: Market Goat and Market Lamb (includes commercial ewe entries) Mandatory Tag-In
• Optional Weigh-In for Rate of Gain Contest will take place during Tag-In
• Sunday, June 1st, 2025 at 4:30 PM: Deadline for ALL market goat and market lamb entries to be entered on
  FairEntry

Tag-In Details (*New for 2025*)

The Livestock Sale Committee and the Junior Fair Board will be testing out a “drive-thru” system for tag-in this year to avoid congestion on the fairgrounds. Families will pull their vehicles (trailer/livestock popper/etc.) up to the North Side of Multi-Livestock Complex (see the star on the map). Animals will then be tagged either on/in the vehicle (trailer, livestock popper, etc.) or can be pulled out by the family if desired. Once your animals have been tagged and their photo IDs have been taken, your family is free to leave. If you intend to run your animals across the scale for Rate of Gain, please pull forward and off to the side to allow other families to get through. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu or 937-419-7127. Thank you for your patience as we test out this new system!

Scrapie Identification Requirement

All sheep and goats, including lambs, kids, wethers, rams, ewes, bucks, and does of all ages exhibited at the Shelby County Junior Fair must have official USDA Scrapie Identification.

• Exhibitors must ensure market lambs and goats are properly identified with official USDA Scrapie Identification (ear tag, tattoo, or microchip) at spring check-in. Official USDA Scrapie Identification is MANDATORY for the weigh-in process to be completed and animals to be accepted as Junior Fair entries on FairEntry.
• Animals WITHOUT official USDA Scrapie Identification WILL NOT be tagged at Tag-In.

Scrapie Tag for reference

Sent through 4-H Online to those enrolled in a swine project on 4/11/25

Hello everyone! We wanted to take a moment to provide some updates for the Swine Department for 2025.

Ractopamine Ban Dropped: In the past, the use of ractopamine has been banned for ALL swine exhibited at the Shelby County Fair. The Senior Fair Board has decided that for 2025 the use of ractopamine will be allowed for swine projects. Exhibitors WILL NOT need to sign and return the “Never Fed Ractopamine” affidavit for participation in the 2025 Shelby County Fair!

Swine 840 Tag Pick Up: The Sale Committee has decided to implement the use of 840 EID tags for the Swine Department in 2025. Each pig entered in the 2025 Shelby County Fair MUST have an 840 EID tag. The Swine 840 Tag Pick Up date is May 4th from 12-2 PM and further information/logistics will be sent out as the date gets closer.

• Tag Pick Up: You are expected to pick up tags for your pigs that DO NOT have 840 tags already (ex: I am entering 5 pigs for the fair. 3 of my pigs have 840 tags already, therefore I only need to pick up 2 on May 4th!
• 840 tags will need to be visible in your Swine ID photos that are submitted with your fair entries on May 15th! (You will be submitting 2 photos: #1 face picture with ear notches & 840 tag visible and #2 a photo of the 840 tag for that entry with numbers visible)
• There will be two spots for ear notch photos if it is easier to submit a photo separately for each ear!

 840 EID tag for reference

We understand that this might be confusing as it is a new process! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions/concerns! Thank you!

Exhibitor Letter

• 2025 Jr. Fair Market Swine Exhibitor Letter

Sent through 4-H Online to those enrolled in a beef (market & breeding) project on 4/11/25

Attention 2025 Shelby County Junior Fair Feeder Calf Exhibitors!

Vaccination Protocol for 2025

New for 2025: Per ODA requirements, all feeder calves are required to have a completed and approved Drug Use Notification Form (DUNF) submitted to be permitted to show or sell at the Shelby County Fair. Exhibitors and their families need to complete the vaccination protocol and necessary boosters prior to June 1st, 2025 to ensure that feeder calves will be drug free by DUNF submission prior to animal weigh-in.

• 2025 Jr. Fair Feeder Calf Vaccination Protocol

Important Dates

• Sunday, May 4th, 2025 from 12-2 PM: Feeder Calf Mandatory Tag Pick-Up (located at the Sale Committee Office on the Shelby County Fairgrounds)
• Vaccination Check during Tag Pick-Up
• Thursday, May 15th, 2025 at 4:30 PM: Deadline for ALL feeder calf entries to be entered on FairEntry

Exhibitor Letter/ Important Information

• 2025 Feeder Calf Exhibitor Letter

If you have any questions, please contact me at miller.11920@osu.edu or 937-419-7127. Thank you!

Deadline extended to April 15th!!

The Ohio Spot Breeders, in order to promote the advancement of the breed, will give up to five 4-H or FFA members a Spotted Gilt. Recipients of donor gilts must show the gilt at the 2025 Ohio State Fair in the Donor Gilt class and in the Junior Spot Show. Recipients must carry the gilt as a breeding project in their organization. Recipients must also breed the gilt to a registered Spot boar for the first breeding and farrow at least one litter of purebred Spots. This litter is to be registered with the National Spotted Swine Record with the Certified Purebred Swine Association. The Ohio Spot Breeders will try to assist any of the recipients with breeding, either by providing semen or breeding service when possible. If the individual does not fulfill the contact, they will pay the donor $250.

To qualify for a donor gilt, an applicant must submit an application. The student must be in 4-H or FFA and carry the appropriate project through their local county. 4-H members must carry the Swine Breeding Project (#140). The application must be filled out completely, contain pictures of where the gilt will be kept, and submit an essay on the topic “Why I want to own a Spot Gilt”. Applications must be signed by the student, parent, and an advisor.

Applications will be judged and the donor or a representative from the Ohio Spot Breeders will contact each possible winner. Final winners will be notified no later than April 15th and all gilts must be picked up by May 1st. It is the responsibility of the students to pick up the gilt at the donor’s farm. Donor gilts will be eligible to show in the donor gilt class and the junior show at the Ohio State Fair. Any offspring of the original donor gilt will be eligible to show in the donor gilt class the following year. Recipients will received a free membership to the Ohio Spot Breeders and the National Spotted Swine Record (junior membership).

Ohio Spot Donor Gilt Application