Dairy

Countywide (make-up) Youth Quality Assurance Trainings: May 7th and May 22nd (RSVP required)

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The FIRST of two make-up countywide Quality Assurance Clinics will be held Saturday, May 7th at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds (Ed Sands/Farm Bureau Building) from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Advanced registration is required. RSVP by completing the survey at this link. Please arrive on time so we can get the training started promptly at 9:00 a.m.

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. This includes the following projects: Beef (Breeding & Market); Dairy Breeding & Dairy Feeders; Goats (Dairy, Meat, Market & Pygmy); Poultry (Breeding & Market); Sheep (Breeding & Market); Swine; Rabbits (Breeding & Market), and Alpacas/Llamas.
Members are required to attend one Quality Assurance Clinic taught by a certified instructor. Members should sign in at the beginning of the clinic and complete a questionnaire at the end of the clinic. Please return the questionnaire to an adult instructor at the clinic.

The SECOND QA Clinic will be Sunday, May 22nd from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., in the Ed Sands/Farm Bureau Building. Advanced registration is required. RSVP by completing the survey at this link.

County Skillathon Awards to be added for 2022 – Sponsors needed!

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Fairfield County Skillathons will return this year and we are excited to incentive and recognize those youth who do exceptionally well in their respective species. Skillathons will continue in 2022 as a required portion of project completion for livestock projects and exhibition at the Fairfield County Junior Fair.

Skillathons will be offered for all beef, dairy, goat, poultry, rabbit (except Pet Rabbits), sheep, swine, dog, horse, alpaca/llama projects. Skillathons may include (but are not limited to) animal
anatomy/body parts, breeding and reproduction, feeds and nutrition, current events, diseases and animal health, equipment ID, feed ID, Quality Assurance, breeds, marketing, meats, and recordkeeping.

Youth must complete at least one Skillathon, but may participate in more than one species. If youth wishes to participate in the Premier Exhibitor contest s/he must complete the county Skillathon for that species. Additional information will be shared in the 2022 Junior Fair Rules Book. Ohio State Fair Skillathons may be used to fulfill the county requirement, unless youth is participating in
Premier Exhibitor.

Save the Dates:

  • Aug. 27, 2022 – Fairfield County Skillathon for Dogs
  • Sept. 10, 2022 – Fairfield County Skillathon for Beef, Dairy Cattle, Dairy Feeders, Meat Goat, Sheep, Swine
  • Sept. 25, 2022 – Fairfield County Skillathon for Rabbit, Poultry, Horse, Alpaca/Llama, Pygmy & Dairy Goat

We will continue to recognize the Top 20% of exhibitors in each species.

Additional awards will be added in 2022 for the 1st Place Junior and Top Senior in each species. Awards for each 1st Place Junior and Senior will include a personalized tumbler and $25 gift card. Sponsors are needed as follows:

  • 1st Place Junior Dairy Cattle Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Lynette Mattox
  • 1st Place Senior Dairy Cattle Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Lori King
  • 1st Place Junior Dairy Beef Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by the Hamilton Family
  • 1st Place Senior Dairy Beef Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Huber Contracting
  • 1st Place Junior Beef Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by the Cooksey Family
  • 1st Place Senior Beef Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by the Caryn Filson Family
  • 1st Place Junior Swine Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by the Cooksey Family
  • 1st Place Senior Swine Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Ryan and Amber Hoisington
  • 1st Place Junior Sheep Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by L-S Club Lambs
  • 1st Place Senior Sheep Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Grant Martin
  • 1st Place Junior Horse Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Tina Kern
  • 1st Place Senior Horse Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Tina Kern
  • 1st Place Junior Meat/Market Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Krile Communications
  • 1st Place Senior Meat/Market Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Krile Communications
  • 1st Place Junior Dairy Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsor
  • 1st Place Senior Dairy Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsor
  • 1st Place Junior Pygmy Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by the Hamilton Family
  • 1st Place Senior Pygmy Goat Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Krile Communications
  • 1st Place Junior Poultry Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Keefer Contractors
  • 1st Place Senior Poultry Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Keefer Contractors
  • 1st Place Junior Rabbit Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Amy Sahr
  • 1st Place Senior Rabbit Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Krile Communications
  • 1st Place Junior Alpaca/Llama Skillathon – $50 Sponsor
  • 1st Place Senior Alpaca/Llama Skillathon – $50 Sponsor
  • 1st Place Junior Dog Skillathon – $50 Sponsor
  • 1st Place Senior Dog Skillathon – $50 Sponsored by Beth Warthman

If you are interested in sponsoring any of these NEW awards for 2022, please contact Junior Fair Awards Coordinator, Carrie Stoneburner at fairfieldcountyjrfairawards@gmail.com. Carrie can also be reached by phone at 740-503-7141 (please leave a message if she is unable to take your call).

Below is a sample mock up of what the tumblers may look like for different species.

Ohio 4-H DairyPalooza: April 30th at Wayne County Fairgrounds (registration due April 8)

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Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Ohio 4-H DairyPalooza at the Wayne County Fairgrounds on April 30th, 2022. Registration must be postmarked by April 8th and can be found by clicking this link. Youth may also attend this event for the required Quality Assurance training needed to show at the Ohio State Fair and Fairfield County Junior Fair. For an information video (posted on April 2nd), check out the Ohio 4-H Dairy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ohio4HDairyProgram.

Attention Livestock Exhibitors: Quality Assurance Updates

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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 Feeders; Goats (Dairy, Meat, Market & Pygmy); Poultry (Breeding & Market); Sheep (Breeding & Market); Swine; Rabbits (Breeding & Market), and Alpacas/Llamas.

Deadlines for 2022:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2022.
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 30, 2022

At this time, Quality Assurance CANNOT be taught by club/chapter advisors to Fairfield County 4-H/FFA youth virtually (i.e. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Google Classrooms, Facebook Live, etc.).

Here are the acceptable options to complete Quality Assurance in 2022:

  • In-Person 4-H Club/FFA Chapter Clinic taught by a 4-H/FFA Advisor who has completed the Quality Assurance Assistant Instructor Training this year (which took place on March 14th and March 28th). Advisors who attended this training will notify their members of their club/chapter QA Clinic date and will be responsible for getting all QA paperwork submitted to the Extension Office by the appropriate deadlines.
  • In-Person Countywide Make-Up Clinics: To be held on Saturday, May 7th from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, May 22nd from 12:00 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. in the Ed Sands Building at the Fairgrounds. An RSVP is required. Please click here to register for a countywide QA makeup clinic.
  • In-Person Beef Quality Assurance: Members who complete an in-person BQA taught by a certified BQA instructor must submit documentation to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.
  • In-Person Pork Quality Assurance: Members who complete an in-person PQA taught by a certified PQA advisor must submit documentation to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu. Youth MUST be age 14 or older (current age) to complete in-person PQA. Youth will receive a PQA certification number from the National Pork Board upon completion.
  • Online: Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). This is the ONLY approved ONLINE Quality Assurance Program for youth in Ohio. For 2022, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to  https://yqcaprogram.org/ for the training and quiz. 3
    • Instructions for using the new website can be found at: 2022 YQCA Website Instructions
    • Exhibitors must complete by June 30, 2022 or they will not be able to show at the Fairfield County Fair.
    • You will need to select the web-based training ($12.00 per member, annually).
    • When you are finished, please send name(s) and certificate number(s) to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Ohio 4-H Animal Science Youth Events, Dates, and Resources

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Attached is a calendar with the dates of State 4-H and Ohio State Fair youth livestock/animal science events: 2022 State 4-H Animal Sciences Calendar.  Also, below, are links to pages where you can find resources by animal project area. 😊

Other good information on livestock can be found on the extension team pages:

Youth Dairy Judging Clinic: Saturday, March 12th at Ohio State University (Columbus)

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Youth interested in learning more about dairy judging are invited to attend the Youth Dairy Judging Clinic on Saturday, March 12th, 2022 at the Animal Science Building on the OSU Campus in Columbus. This event is FREE! If parking on campus, there will be a parking fee to park in the Animal Science parking lot. For more information, click here.

2022 Spring Dairy Expo: March 29-31, Ohio Expo Center

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This annual Spring Dairy Expo show and sale series will be held in Columbus, OH at the State Fairgrounds, March 29-31. Entries will be able to be made online soon! Make plans to attend for youth showmanship and judging contests as well! For more information, visit www.springdairyexpo.com or the Spring Dairy Expo Facebook page.

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Dairy Judging Contest and Livestock Judging Contest Opportunities: February 26 at OSU ATI

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4-H and FFA Members are invited to participate in the Ohio State ATI Invitational Dairy Cattle Judging Contest. This year’s contest will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at the OARDC Krauss Dairy, located at 2250 Oil City Road, (between Dover Road and Secrest Road), Wooster, Ohio. Please note the change of location of the contest from prior years. For more information: 2022 Invitational Dairy Cattle Judging Contest Rules

4-H and FFA Members are invited to participate in the Ohio State ATI Hoof-N-Hide Club General Livestock Judging Contest. This year’s contest will be held on Saturday, February 26th, 2022 at the Ohio State ATI Equine Center, located at 3339 S. Apple Creek Rd., Apple Creek, Ohio.  Please note, that all in attendance, (coaches and contestants)  will be required to wear masks. For more information: 2022 Invitational Livestock Judging Contest Rules

Skillathons are Mandatory for Livestock/Horses/Dogs for the 2021 Fairfield County Junior Fair – Read more here!

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Continuing from what was begun in 2020, the Fairfield County Junior Fair will require the completion of at least one Skillathon per 4-H/FFA exhibitor in order to show at 2021 Fairfield County Junior Fair for all beef, dairy, goat, poultry, rabbit (except Pet Rabbits), sheep, swine, dog, horse, and alpaca/llama projects. This requirement is included on page 14 of the 2021 4-H Member Handbook.

Fairfield County Skillathons may include (but are not limited to) animal anatomy/body parts, breeding and reproduction, feeds and nutrition, current events, diseases and animal health, equipment ID, feed ID, Quality Assurance, breeds, marketing, meats, and record keeping including your project book.

Project Books should be complete and up to date for the current year. Project Books for each project an exhibitor plans to bring to the fair should be brought to Skillathon.

  • If competing for Premier Exhibitor, exhibitors must complete a Skillathon for each species they plan to compete in this year.
  • If exhibitors completed the Ohio State Fair Virtual or In-Person Skillathons, or opt to take the written test, they must submit project books to the Extension Office by October 1st.

Here are options to meet this county requirement:

  1. Participate in the Fairfield County Skillathon event to be held September 11th and 12th at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in the Ed Sands/Fairfield County Farm Bureau Building.  Sign up by noon, Wednesday, September 8th using this link: go.osu.edu/21fcskillathon
  • Fairfield County youth interested in competing for any Fairfield County Premier Exhibitor Award must complete the Skillathon in each respective specie they play to compete in.
  • Example: Exhibitor wishes to compete for Swine Premier Exhibitor Award and Poultry Premier Exhibitor Award must complete both the swine and poultry Fairfield County Skillathons on either September 11th or 12th.
  1. Participate in the Ohio State Fair Virtual Skillathon.
  • Youth do not have to be exhibitors in the OSF to participate.
  • Registration is due June 14th by visiting: www.go.osu.edu/skillathonregistration
  • Youth do not have to be exhibitors at the OSF to participate.
  • OSF Youth participating in the Outstanding Breeding Exhibitor must register and complete the OSF Virtual Skillathon to be eligible for this award.
  • Exhibitors must have their own unique email address to create a log-in to access the online skillathon.
  1. Participate in the Ohio State Fair In-Person Skillathon.
  1. None of these options work? Exhibitors can take a written test in the Ed Sands Building on the Fairfield County Fairgrounds on either Sunday, September 26 at 1 p.m. or Monday, September 27 at 6 p.m. To participate in this testing option, youth must first register with the Fairfield County Senior Fair Office by contacting them at 740-653-3041.

Details including dates for both virtual/in-person options on the two options from the Ohio State Fair can be found here: https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/ohio-youth-skillathons

The 2021 In-Person County skillathons will consist of 4 stations:

  1. Parts of the animal
  2. Breeds of the species
  3. Quality Assurance
  4. Project Book Review and Interview

Dogs will complete their skillathon during Dog Check-in on Saturday, August 28th.

The following species will have skillathons on Saturday, September 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Appointments must be made noon, Wednesday, September 8th through this link: go.osu.edu/21fcskillathon.

  • Dairy
  • Beef (Including Dairy Beef Feeders)
  • Swine
  • Rabbits
  • Poultry

The following species will have skillathons on Sunday, September 12th, from noon to 6:00 pm.  Appointments must be made by noon, Wednesday, September 8th through this link: go.osu.edu/21fcskillathon.

  • Sheep
  • Horses
  • Dairy Goat
  • Market Goat
  • Pygmy Goat
  • Alpacas and Llamas

Study materials would include your project books, resource books, skillathon kits, and online resources (for poultry).

Return to the Junior Fair Rule Book index page

Premier Exhibitor Contests – Program Updates Coming Soon!

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A committee has been working the past few months to update the Premier Exhibitor Contests across all species. A few details are being finalized and the updates to the program will be shared BEFORE September 1st. Stay tuned!