Author: Leslie Cooksey

Teen Opportunity: Buckeye Leadership Workshop (Registration is open!)

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The 79th Buckeye Leadership Workshop will be held March 18 – 22, 2026 at Recreation Unlimited in Ashley, OH.  Chris Cavert is the featured presenter and you can learn more about Chris Cavert and the BLW 2026 sessions at buckeyeleadership.com.

Registration is open and you are encouraged to sign up now to reserve your spot for the annual workshop event.  If you can’t attend due to prior commitments or other schedule conflicts, please consider recruiting others to attend.

Got extra eggs?

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Jeannette Curtis, Executive Director of Fairfield 211 is asking if anyone has more eggs than the can currently utilize.  The Short East Community Kitchen (Maple Street Meal site) is currently experiencing an ongoing shortage of eggs at their site.   The Community Kitchen  typically uses about 5 dozen eggs per week.  If you have more eggs that you or your family can use, please consider dropping off your donation to the Short East Community Kitchen, Monday-Friday 9 am until 1 pm or contact Jeanette Curtis directly at Fairfield 211.

What a great way to participate in local community service with perhaps using your 4-H Poultry Projects who are laying eggs!

 

Scholarship Opportunity: Dorrin and Ruth Ross Scholarship – due 3/15/2026

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Once again, The Columbus Foundation is pleased to share the availability of the Dorrin and Ruth Ross Scholarship! The scholarship was established by Dorrin and Ruth Ross. Natives of Licking County, Ohio, Dorrin and Ruth married and moved to Columbus in 1935. Mr. Ross began his career as a carpenter, worked for the Curtiss-Wright Company during World War II, and spent the remainder of his career with the Ohio Parole Board, working his way from Parole officer to a supervisor before he passed away in June, 1989.

Following Ruth Ross’s graduation from Bliss College in Columbus, she became a corporate secretary and the owner and broker of Gateway Realty. Eventually, she took a position with the Ohio Rehabilitation Department, where she worked until disabled by illness in 1986. Mrs. Ross died in June, 1988. Very private people, the Rosses were active in their church and Dorrin was a mason.

The scholarship is indicative of Mrs. Ross’s interest in supporting educational opportunities for rural students, inspired by the loss of her family’s farm during the Depression, after her graduation from college.

Candidates must meet one (1) of the following criteria:

    • Graduates or graduating high school seniors of Bloom-Carroll High School or Fairfield Union high School;
    • Past or present members of Fairfield County 4-H or Fairfield County Agriculture’s Future Farmers of American (FFA);
    • Graduates or graduating high school seniors from Washington High School in Washington County, Kentucky; or
    • Past or present members of Washington County 4-H or FFA.

Relatives of Dorrin and Ruth Ross or any member of the selection committee are not eligible to apply.

We hope you will share this application link, https://www.grantinterface.com/sl/3gB6B1 with any eligible students!  The deadline for the application is March 15, 2026.

Ohio 4-H Conference Registration is OPEN and due February 18th!

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The 2026 Ohio 4-H Conference Registration Booklet and Form are now available:

4-H volunteers and teens wishing to register for the 2026 Ohio 4-H Conference (held March 21, 2026) will need to register through their county office. Then, counties will register them through Qualtrics. All registrations are due to the Fairfield County Extension office by February 18th.

Please note that breakout sessions are first come, first serve and we encourage early registration to ensure you get placed into the session you are most interested in.

For 4-H Advisors, the 4-H Advisory Committee will be sponsoring the first EIGHT advisors who register. Checks will be returned after attending the event.

Or 4-H Teens, the 4-H Advisory Committee will be sponsoring ALL teens who register AND have submitted a 2026 Ohio 4-H Achievement or Junior Achievement Form. Checks will be returned after attending the event.

Registration must be turned in with payment (checks preferred) – checks made payable to the 4-H Advisory Committee.

Please contact Leslie Cooksey, Aubry Fowler, or Haley Black if questions!

2026 Ohio State Fair Market Steer/Heifer DNA Kits

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2026 Market Steer / Market Heifer Identification Process

IDENTIFICATION: In order for a Market Steer / Market Heifer to be eligible for entry to the 2026 Ohio Sate Fair, the appropriate DNA Sample and Identification Envelope must be submitted by no later than January 15, 2026.

OFFICIAL ENTRY: Submitting DNA sample materials by the stated deadline makes those animals eligible for official entry to the Ohio State Fair, entry forms must be submitted prior to June 20, 2026.

(www.ohiostatefair.com > Competitions > Jr. Livestock > Junior Beef)

DNA PACKETS:     DNA packets can be obtained at your local Extension Office. Please note that we have a limited supplies of these packets in our office.

The Ohio State Fair is no longer providing EID tags. Only DNA packets are provided for exhibitors. Exhibitors are expected to provide EID tag number when submitting DNA packet (by the stated deadline).

SIGNATURE: Please be aware that your county 4-H Youth Development Educator or FFA Instructor will need to sign each DNA envelope prior to submission as notification that you plan to enroll in the 4-H / FFA Market Beef project for 2026.

In order to be eligible for entry in to the Market Steer / Market Heifer classes during the Ohio State Fair, you must officially enroll in the Market Beef project through your 4-H or FFA program. Neglecting to do so will forfeit the ability to make entry to these classes. (Same rule applies to entry in county / independent fair market classes).

Feel free to contact Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu or 740-653-5419 with questions!

4-H Day Youth Volunteers – share your projects 4-Hers on March 7th!

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4-H Day is coming up on Saturday, March 7th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the AAA Building at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. We could not host this “open house” and 4-H kickoff event without the help of our 4-H volunteers, youth, and families. Here is what we need and are looking for:

  • Kids of all ages who want to show off their projects. All projects welcome – bring animals, project books, awards, displays, etc. Setup will begin at 12:00 p.m. and those kids who would like to have a display should contact 4-H Day Chairs, Jessica Scott and Bethany Miller, at fairfield.4hday23@gmail.com to let them know what they plan to bring. Also, you may sign-up for your project at the following 2026 4-H Day Sign-Up Genius Link.
    • Pens and cages will be available IF we know that they are bring an animal. If they bring an animal, they are responsible for feed, water, bedding, and cleaning up after their animal.
    • We will be limiting project displays to ONE per project so please let Jessica and Bethany know what you’d like to bring by signing up on the Sign-Up Genius website (i.e. we will not have 3 different members bring 3 pet rabbits!)
  • Adults (advisors….and parents are also welcome) to help with registration, answering general 4-H questions and club placement/check-out. Clubs looking to add members are strongly encouraged to attend and recruit at 4-H Day.

This is a great way for kids to engage in public speaking and add something to their Junior Achievement or Ohio 4-H Achievement Forms (4-H promotion/awareness at its finest!)

WANTED: Clubs & 4-H Advisors to help recruit new members and families at 4-H Day!

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4-H Day is coming up on Saturday, March 7th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the AAA Building at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. We could not host this “open house” and 4-H kickoff event without the help of our 4-H volunteers, youth, and families. Here is what we need and are looking for!

  1. Advisors who would like to put a club display/table together. We need to know how many tables/chairs you need. This is ideal for clubs who are able to add new members. Showcase what your club does over the course of the year. Cloverbud Clubs are welcome!
    • If your club would like to setup at 4-H Day this year, please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up found at this link.
    • This year will be a little different than in the past years. We will have club tables setup in the Ed Sands Barn during a Spaghetti Dinner that is being put on by the Advisory Committee. This will allow for clubs to spread out a little more and allow more room for projects that will be in the AAA Barn. Please include a good email address that communication can be emailed to as there will be further details to come as the event comes closer.
    • 4-H Day will be March 7th, 2026 from 1-3pm. However, the Spaghetti Dinner will be from 12pm-4pm. That said, clubs are asked to setup from 11am-4:30pm to not interfere with the Spaghetti Dinner. Any question can be directly emailed to fairfield.4hday23@gmail.com. Thank you!
  2. Advisors/Volunteers who can help with registration and serve as runners (on an as-needed basis) during 4-H Day in the AAA Building. We’ll let you know more specifics when you arrive that day!

We look forward to hearing from many of you! This is a huge event of the 4-H Advisory Committee where we expect over 100 youth and adult volunteers to make this happen. Additionally, we expect to see over 300 prospective guests who are interested in our county 4-H program! Let’s show them what we have to offer!

 

2026 Homegrown Market Lamb – Register your Ewe/Lambs within 2 weeks of lambing!

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The Junior Fair Sheep Committee is pleased to continue the Homegrown Class in the Junior Fair Market Lamb Show for 2026. Read on for further details:

Homegrown Market Lamb Division

  1. To be eligible, entries must be born from a ewe owned by the exhibitor prior to January 1st of the current year and raised at the 4-H/FFA member’s immediate family property or family property that adjoins the exhibitor’s residence (i.e. grandparents, aunt/uncle). Proof of ownership of the ewe will be in the form of registration papers, farm Scrapie tag, or Scrapie tag with an accompanying bill of sale.
  2. Entry must be one of the exhibitor’s junior fair market lamb projects. Lambs must be born after January 1st of the current year.
  3. The market lamb selected to be shown in the homegrown market lamb show will be included in the general market classes.
  4. Homegrown market lamb class will be held separately – before the general market lamb show, and only one lamb per exhibitor will be permitted to show in this class.
  5. The top five (5) places will be selected and receive an award. The Champion Homegrown Market Lamb and Reserve Champion Homegrown Market Lamb selected will sell 6th and 7th in the overall sale order (unless it places either Grand or Reserve Grand Champion in the general market lamb show or the exhibitor is selected as the Sheep Premier Exhibitor).
  6. Exhibitors must complete the Homegrown Market Lamb Intent Form (http://go.osu.edu/homegrownmktlamb) as soon as possible following the birth of their Homegrown Market Lamb(s). This will notify the Sheep Committee to make a farm visit within two weeks of lambing.
  7. All entries must agree to a market lamb committee member(s) entering their barn/housing unit for visual inspection of animals. Failure to do so will lead to immediate disqualification.

Homegrown Market Lamb(s) must take part in June weigh-in at the fairgrounds. No exceptions.