Dairy

Skillathon Requirement Info for 4-H/FFA Junior Fair Exhibitors (Alpacas/Llamas, Beef, Dairy Cattle, Dogs, Goats, Horses, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Swine)

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The Fairfield County Junior Fair will require the completion of at least one Skillathon per 4-H/FFA exhibitor in order to show at 2022 Fairfield County Junior Fair for all beef, dairy, goat, poultry, rabbit (except Pet Rabbits), sheep, swine, dog, horse, alpaca/llama projects. This requirement is included on page 15 of the 2022 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 recordkeeping. 2022 Fairfield County Skillathons will include breeds, parts, feeds, and an interview. 

Here are options to meet this county requirement:

1. Participate in the Fairfield County Skillathon event to be held September 10th and 25th at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. 
  • Fairfield County youth interested in competing for any Fairfield County Premier Exhibitor Award must complete the COUNTY 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 September 10th (swine) and 25th (poultry).
    • For more information about 2022 Premier Exhibitor Contests, click here.
  • Youth will be asked to complete a tiebreaker question at Skillathon – this will be used to break ties for Premier Exhibitor and/or Skillathon if needed.
  • Skillathon Species for Saturday, September 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. include: Beef, Dairy Beef, Swine, Sheep, Meat Goats, Dairy Cattle
  • Skillathon Species for Sunday, September 25th from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. include: Pygmy Goats, Dairy Goats, Horses, Alpacas/Llamas, Poultry Rabbits
  • Dog Exhibitors will complete the Skillathon at Dog Check-In Day on Saturday, August 27th from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Fairfield County Skillathons will take place at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds.
  • Scheduling for Skillathon is now open – click here to schedule for each Skillathon you wish to participate in: http://go.osu.edu/22skillathon.
  • New for 2022: Top Junior and Top Senior Skillathon Awards will be awarded.
2. Participate in the Ohio State Fair Virtual Skillathon.
3. Participate in the Ohio State Fair In-Person Skillathon.
  • Registration takes place on the day event at the OSF.
  • Youth do not have to be exhibitors at the OSF to participate.
  • OSF Youth participating in the Outstanding Market Exhibitor Contest must attend the OSF In-Person Skillathon to be eligible for this award.
  • In-Person 2021 Ohio Youth Skillathon Rules
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
4. None of these options work? Exhibitors can schedule to take a written test by calling the OSU Extension Office at 740-653-5419. The makeup test will take place on Monday, September 26th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Rickett’s Hall/Ed Sands Building at the Fairgrounds.

Project Books are required for each project coming to fair.

    • Cakes/Pies/Candies – Bring complete/up-to-date book to judging at fair.
    • Companion Animals – Keep complete/up-to-date books for judging at fair.
    • Dogs – Bring complete/up-to-date books to Dog Check-In Day on Saturday, August 27th.
    • Crops/Hay – Completed project books need to be turned in to the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23rd.
    • All livestock/horse completed/up-to-date project books should either be:
      • A. Brought to their respective Skillathon Day (if participating in that specie’s county Skillathon), or
      • B. Turned into the Extension Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23rd (if OSF Skillathon or no county Skillathon is being completed).
    • ALL LIVESTOCK/HORSE PROJECT BOOKS WILL BE REVIEWED ON SKILLATHON DATES BY OUR BOOK JUDGES. THEY MUST BE COMPLETE IN ORDER TO SHOW AT THE FAIR. INCOMPLETE BOOKS WILL HAVE FAIR ENTRIES DENIED. We will not collect books or give more time for books to be finished between the last Skillathon date and fair like last year.

Please let Leslie Cooksey (cooksey.25@osu.edu) know if you have additional questions.

Ohio Youth Skillathons (Ohio State Fair Virtual and In-Person Sessions)

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Ohio Youth Skillathon information for VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON sessions is now online at: https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/ohio-youth-skillathons

VIRTUAL Skillathon Registration is due by JUNE 21st, 2022!

A few important notes:

  • Those exhibiting at OSF and want to be eligible for Outstanding Market Exhibitor (OME) awards MUST participate at the IN-PERSON skillathons at the state fair
  • Those exhibiting at OSF and want to be eligible for Outstanding Breeding Exhibitor (OBE) awards MUST participate in the VIRTUAL skillathons online

Alternative Skillathon Option: Ohio State Fair VIRTUAL Skillathons – Registration due June 21, 2022

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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. Certain species Skillathons with the Ohio State Fair offer different age-appropriate stations, such as junior, intermediate, and senior. Youth complete each station through an online quiz. The virtual Skillathon serves as the breeding Skillathon for the Ohio State Fair and is required for anyone who desires to participate in the Ohio State Fair Outstanding Breeding Exhibitor program. Online tech support is available for those who need assistance with the online program.

Click here for additional information and register at go.osu.edu/skillathonregistration. Registration for the Virtual Skillathons is due by June 21, 2022.

Fairfield County youth participating in any Ohio State Fair Skillathon (virtually or in-person) 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 23rd 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.

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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