Beef

2024 Ohio State Fair Beef Skillathon Results

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Congratulations to Fairfield County 4-H/FFA members completing the Ohio State Fair In-Person Skillathon for Beef. For a complete list of Ohio State Fair Skillathon Results, visit: https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/ohio-4-h-skillathons

2024 Ohio State Fair In-Person Beef Breeding Skillathon Results:

  • 8/9 year olds:
    • 1st Place – Camille Kemmerer
  • 10 year olds:
    • 3rd Place – Gracelynn Tarbert
  • 12 year olds:
    • 1st Place – Landon Moore and OVERALL BEEF BREEDING SKILLATHON WINNER
    • 4th Place – Stella Koehler
  • 13 year olds:
    • 11th Place – Ellanor Tarbert
  • 15 year olds:
    • 2nd Place – Evelyn Koehler
  • 16 year olds:
    • 2nd Place – Sadie Moore

Alternative Skillathon Option: Ohio State Fair VIRTUAL Skillathons – OPEN NOW and complete by September 1st

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A Skillathon is an event to test knowledge of specific subject matter using the experiential learning model of exploring, reflecting, and applying that knowledge. Skillathons are created from materials directly or modified from Learning Laboratory Kits, information provided in the Ohio 4-H Animal Resource Books, and other resources, along with input from industry experts. Each Skillathon is comprised of four educational and challenging stations.

The Ohio 4-H Program offers a virtual Skillathon opportunity for 4-H members to participate and practice their knowledge in any species. Fairfield County youth participating in any Ohio State Fair VIRTUAL Skillathon will not need to complete a county Skillathon as this will meet the Fairfield County Junior Fair Requirement. If youth choose to complete the alternative Skillathon at the Ohio State Fair (virtually or in-person), they will also need to submit their completed project record book to the Extension Office by Friday, September 20th at 4:00 p.m. However, if an exhibitor wishes to compete in the Fairfield County Premier Exhibitor Contest, they will need to complete the Fairfield County Skillathon for each specie they wish to compete in to be eligible. Project record books are to be COMPLETED for EACH 4-H/FFA project taken to the Fairfield County Junior Fair.

If participating in the VIRTUAL Skillathons, they must be completed by September 1st to meet the Fairfield County Skillathon requirement. No registration is required – just click on the direct links below to get started.

Fairfield County 4-H Members participate in the 2024 Ohio 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

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On Thursday, July 25th, fourteen Fairfield County 4-H members participated in the Ohio 4-H Livestock Judging Contest at the Ohio State Fair. This contest allows you to evaluate 8 classes of livestock (sheep, goats, hogs, beef cattle), select their placings for each class, and provide oral reasoning to support their placings. Juniors had to complete two sets of oral reasons and two question classes while Senior participants had to complete four sets of oral reasons.

The Fairfield County Junior Team placed 16th. Those youth participating in the Junior division were: Lydia Smith, McKenna Miller, Macie Miller, Evan Walters, and Stella Koehler.

  • Evelyn Koehler placed 17th in sheep

The Fairfield County Senior Teams placed 19th, 31st, and 23rd. Those youth participating in the Junior division were: Evelyn Koehler, Abigail Walters, Owen Russell (from Pickaway County), Addie Dennis, Lily Dennis, Brin Leigh Hoisington, Henry Hoisington, Cole Rowley, Paisley Alt, Emilyn Kanet.

  • Stella Koehler placed 11th in goats, 18th in sheep, 16th in swine, and was placed 22nd overall individually
  • Lydia Smith placed 19th in beef

Full contest results can be found at this link.

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Beef Exhibitors: Beef Feeder Possession Date and Identification Information

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Beef Feeder possession is August 15th . All beef feeder animals exhibited must have been completely and fully owned and in the complete possession and continual care of the exhibitor on and after the designated date.

All beef feeder exhibitors will submit the EID 840 tag number by August 20th (within 5 days of August 15th possession date) to the OSU Extension Office for each beef feeder animal. If an animal currently has an EID 840 tag in place, this tag will be used as the official fair identification. No DNA hair sample will be required for feeder calves.

If needed, feeder calf exhibitors will be able to pick up 840 EID tags from OSU Extension (tags provided by the Senior Fair).

2024 Fairfield County Junior Fair Premier Exhibitor Contest Information

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The objective of the Premier Exhibitor Contest is to encourage youth exhibitors to explore multiple aspects of the livestock specie project they are enrolled in, and to reward those youth that participate at the highest level. While some exhibitors may choose to only participate in a single aspect of an animal project, the reality is that all the various opportunities available for any given project are interrelated and participation can enhance the knowledge, skills, and enjoyment gained from the project.

  • Exhibitors will learn that market animals originate from breeding stock.
  • Performance is vital to the profitability of livestock production.
  • Efficient record keeping allows the owner to determine if the project was profitable.
  • Livestock evaluation is the foundation for selecting both breeding and market livestock.
  • Knowing breeds, body parts and muscle names and locations complements one’s ability to evaluate livestock.

It’s all interrelated and encouraging youth to expand the knowledge of their project by participating in a variety of opportunities while also in a competitive environment will enhance the learning experience.

Requirements

  • Exhibitors must be enrolled in a 4-H/FFA project in that species in their respective 4-H Club/FFA Chapter.
  • FairEntry is made in the respective species by August FairEntry deadline.
  • The exhibitor must complete the Fairfield County Skillathon for the specie they plan to compete in Premier Exhibitor. Those exhibitors who participate in the alternative Skillathon options will not be eligible for Premier Exhibitor (i.e., Ohio State Fair VIRTUAL Skillathon, Ohio State Fair IN-PERSON Skillathon, and/or Fairfield County Make-Up Skillathon). Project books will be reviewed as part of the county Skillathon event.
  • An exhibitor must complete a Skillathon for each specie they plan to compete for Premier Exhibitor. If an exhibitor does not participate in the Fairfield County Skillathon for that specie, they will be ineligible for Premier Exhibitor in that specie.
  • Exhibitors must show their own animal(s).

Eligible Species

  • Dairy Cattle
  • Beef
  • Swine
  • Sheep
  • Dairy Goats
  • Meat/Market Goats
  • Pygmy Goats
  • Poultry
  • Rabbits
  • Dogs
  • Alpacas/Llamas
  • Horses

Scoring

The Premier Exhibitor for each species will be the exhibitor with the highest point total from the activities listed for each specie (dropping the scores as mentioned below).

The goal is to encourage exhibitors to explore various opportunities available to them within their species and allow for lowest scores to be dropped when sufficient experiences are able to be offered (for example, Beef Exhibitors have far more project opportunities available to them than Pygmy Goats). The objective would be to encourage exhibitors to earn points for exhibiting animals in at least two ways at the Fairfield County Fair in addition to participating in Skillathon, showmanship, rate of gain (if applicable), and judging contests (if applicable). If exhibiting more than one animal in an activity, the highest placing animal will be used for the Premier Exhibitor scoring.

  • Dairy Cattle: The Dairy Cattle Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 6 of the 7 following Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Dairy Skillathon*, Showmanship, Fairfield County Dairy Judging Contest, and Breeding Class, Market Class, Feeder Class, and Rate of Gain.
  • Beef: The Beef Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 5 of the 8 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Beef Skillathon*, Showmanship, Fairfield County Beef Judging Contest, Breeding Class, Feeder Class, Market Class, Carcass Class, and Rate of Gain.
  • Swine: The Swine Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 4 of the 5 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Swine Skillathon*, Showmanship, Fairfield County Swine Judging Contest, Market/MQP Class 1, and Market/MQP Class 2.
  • Sheep: The Sheep Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from 5 of the 6 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Sheep Skillathon*, Showmanship, Fairfield County Sheep Judging Contest, Breeding Class, Market/MQP Class 1, and Market/MQP Class 2.
  • Dairy Goats: The Dairy Goat Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from all 4 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Dairy Goat Skillathon*, Showmanship, Breeding (Kid/Yearling Class), and Breeding (Doe Class).
  • Meat/Market Goats: The Meat/Market Goat Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from 5 of the 6Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Meat/Market Goat Skillathon*, Showmanship, Fairfield County Meat Goat Judging Contest, Breeding (Meat Doe) Class, Market/MQP Class 1, and Market/MQP Class 2.
  • Pygmy Goats: The Pygmy Goat Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from all 4 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Pygmy Goat Skillathon*, Showmanship, Wether Class, and Doe Class.
  • Poultry: The Poultry Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from 4 of the 5 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Poultry Skillathon*, Showmanship, Breeding Class, Layers Class, and Market Class.
  • Rabbits: The Rabbit Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from all 4 of the 6 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Rabbit Skillathon*, Showmanship, Breeding Class 1, Breeding Class 2, Market Class 1, Market Class 2.
  • Dogs: The Dog Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 4 of the 5 Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Dog Skillathon*, You & Your Dog Interview, Showmanship, Obedience Class, and Agility.
  • Alpacas/Llamas: The Alpaca & Llama Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 4 of the 5 following Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Alpaca/Llama Skillathon*, Showmanship, Public Relations Class, Costume Class, and Obstacle/Agility Class
  • Horses: The Horse Premier Exhibitor will be the highest point total from up to 4 of the 5 following Fairfield County Junior Fair activities: Horse Skillathon*, Showmanship, Pleasure Class, Pattern Class, and Contesting Class.

The *Fairfield County Skillathon will be a mandatory activity for participation in the respective species’ Premier Exhibitor Contest. A Skillathon is an activity to test knowledge of specific subject matter in a hands-on experiential learning model. Skillathons will take place on the assigned day and times in September, and this will be the only opportunity for participants to complete the Skillathon for their respective species and be eligible to participate in the respective Premier Exhibitor Contest. Exhibitors will earn corresponding Premier Exhibitor points based off of their raw score (out of 100 points). Skillathons will be comprised of four stations. A completed project book is required at Skillathon.

The Fairfield County Livestock Judging Contest will take place on Sunday of the Fairfield County Fair for swine, beef, sheep, and goats. Exhibitors will earn corresponding Livestock Judging Contest points based off of their raw score. Total points possible will be determined on the day of the contest. The Fairfield County Dairy Judging Contest will take place on Monday of the Fairfield County Fair for dairy cattle.

Rate of Gain will be available to all market beef, dairy steer, and dairy feeder exhibitors.

Breeding/Market/Showmanship/Rate of Gain class/heat points will be assigned according to class rankings (placing 1st through 5th, followed by participation points).

Livestock Sale: If the Premier Exhibitor has a market animal in that respective species, they will sell third in the market sale for that species following the Overall Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Animals. If an exhibitor chooses to take home and earns Premier Exhibitor, they will lose their sale slot. (In that case second place Premier Exhibitor will not move into that sale slot).

Ties: Exhibitors will complete a tiebreaker station at Skillathon for their respective specie. Scoring from the tiebreaker station will only be used to help break ties for the overall rankings of each specie’s Premier Exhibitor.

Awards will be given for 1st place winner of each age group (Age 8/9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), from which, overall 1st through 3rd place winners will be chosen for the Premier Exhibitor Program for each specie.

  • 1st Place Awards for each age group (Age 8/9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) will receive a rosette and coupon to be used at the fair for a free sandwich at the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Food Booth.
  • 1st Place Award Overall for each specie will receive a vinyl banner and $100 cash award.
  • 2nd Place Award Overall for each specie will receive a vinyl banner and $75 cash award.
  • 3rd Place Award Overall for each specie will receive a vinyl banner and $50 cash award.

As printed in the 2024 Fairfield County Junior Fair Book.

Fairfield County Jr. Fair Beef Breeding Possession Date & Identification

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For all those Junior Fair Youth with Beef Breeding Project please be aware of the  possession date.

* Beef Breeding possession is July 1st . All beef breeding animals exhibited must have been completely and full owned and in the complete possession and continual care of the exhibitor on and after the designated date.

* Registered Beef Breeding Identification: All registered breeding beef will submit the following by July 15th to OSU Extension Office: EID 840 Tag and/or Tattoo Number as well as DNA hair sample for each animal.

* If an animal currently has an EID 840 tag in place, this tag will be used as the official fair identification.

* Registration Number is required at the time of fair entry and by August 23rd , 2024 (FairEntry Deadline).

* If breed registration is not completed by fair entry deadline, the animal will show as a crossbred.

* Crossbred Beef Breeding Identification: All crossbred breeding beef will submit the following by July 15th to OSU Extension Office: EID 840 Tag as well as DNA hair sample for each animal.

* If an animal currently has an EID 840 tag in place, this tag will be used as the official fair identification.

* If needed, crossbred heifer exhibitors will be able to pick-up 840 EID tags from OSU Extension (which are provided by the Senior Fair).

Youth Opportunity: Livestock Judging Webinars on Oral Reasons – July 8th and 10th

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The Ohio 4-H Animal Science Design Team Livestock Evaluation webinar series are continuing, and our seventh and eighth sessions are on Oral Reasons! These series are being recorded so that if someone is not able to attend, they can review it later.

DATE: Monthly TBD

TIME: 7:00–8:00 p.m.

LOCATION: ZOOM – go.osu.edu/livestockevaluation

  • January 24 – Let’s Start a Team
  • February 19 – Beef 101
  • March 18 – Swine 101
  • April 15 – Sheep 101
  • May 20 – Goats 101
  • June 17 – EPDs & Scenarios
  • July 8 – Reasons, Part 1
  • July 10 – Reasons, Part 2

All Recordings can be found along with other additional resources: https://ohio4h.org/node/3429

Livestock Exhibitors: Quality Assurance MUST be completed by June 30th to show at fair, no exceptions!

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Quality Assurance is an annual requirement of the Ohio Department of Agriculture for youth taking livestock projects to county and state fair. In Fairfield County, Quality Assurance Training is required for all members who will be exhibiting a livestock project at the Fairfield County Fair or Junior Exhibitor at the Ohio State Fair. Beef (Breeding & Market); Dairy Breeding, Dairy Steers, & Dairy Feeders; Goats (Dairy, Meat, Market & Pygmy); Poultry (Breeding & Market); Sheep (Breeding & Market); Swine; Rabbits (Breeding & Market), and Alpacas/Llamas.

Deadlines for 2024:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2024.
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 30, 2024.

Email reminders have been sent to advisors over the last month for those who have yet to complete this requirement. Also, families are receiving final email reminders today (June 28th).

All Quality Assurance information has been shared with club/chapter advisors and has been posted on the blog since April 25th. Read all Quality Assurance options for 2024 here.

Youth Opportunity: Ohio State Fair Livestock Judging Contest – REGISTER BY JULY 8TH

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All 4-H members are encouraged to participate in the 2024 Ohio State Fair Livestock Judging Contest on July 25th at the Ohio Expo Center.

  • Check-In: 8:30 am – 9:30 am – Voinovich Livestock Center Show Arena
  • Contest Instructions: 10:00 am – Voinovich Livestock Center Show Arena
  • Judging Begins: 10:30 am – Denny Hales Arena
  • Awards Presentation – Following Contest Critiques in Voinovich

Pre-Registration is required by July 8th and must have a county 4-H Educator’s approval – please contact Leslie Cooksey if you wish to participate. The cost is $15 per member and if Fairfield County 4-H youth wish to participate in this contest, members will be reimbursed by the 4-H Advisory Committee. Click here for additional rules and contest information.

Scholarship Opportunity: Select Sires – Due June 10th

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Select Sires Member Cooperative Announces Inaugural Scholarship Program

The Select Sires Member Cooperative (SSMC) Board of Directors wishes to recognize the efforts and aspirations of college students from member-owner families throughout our 27-state territory.  To achieve this goal, the board of directors has set aside $40,000 in scholarship funds that will be awarded to students currently enrolled in a two or four year academic program. Students who wish to be considered in our application process must apply by the June 10, 2024, application deadline using the following link https://bit.ly/ssmcscholarship . The announcement of scholarship winners will take place by the end of July.  Board Member Brad Lindhardt says “These are the opportunities we can create together to make a difference not only for the individual, but the cooperative and the industry.  This is why it is important to me to be a part of this growing cooperative.”

More Information & Application.

Source: Ohio Cattlemen’s Association electronic newsletter 5/12/2024