4-H members are required to complete a project or record book each year for each of the projects in which they are enrolled. In past years, advisors reviewed project books for livestock, horse, gardening/crop projects at the club level – unless members pursued the Premier Exhibitor Contest, where they turned in their project book at the fair to compete in the Project Book Contest.

Likewise, FFA members are required to complete project records for their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects through AET. If FFA members chose to participate in Premier Exhibitor in the past, they also turned in a printed version of their project records from AET to be reviewed in the Project Book Contest.

In 2020, Skillathons returned to the Fairfield County Junior Fair and the Project Book Contest and Premier Exhibitor Test have been discontinued for the Premier Exhibitor Contests. Originally, our plan was to have project books reviewed as a station of in-person Skillathons. The books would have been quickly reviewed in person by a judge who also would have interviewed the exhibitors on what they have learned from their 4-H/FFA project(s). Due to COVID-19 and moving Skillathons virtually, this in-person book review could not take place and an alternative plan was established.

Our alternative plan to review project books this year will be a county level review. 4-H Project/Record Books will be reviewed by 4-H Staff at the Extension Office while FFA Record Books will be reviewed by each FFA Advisor in their respective chapters.

What do exhibitors need to do?

• Each member will need to turn in a project book for each project you plan to bring to the fair. This includes: All Beef (breeding, market, feeders, dairy beef feeders), Hogs, Sheep (breeding, market), Goats (meat does, market wethers, dairy, pygmy), Poultry, Rabbits (breeding, market – NOT Pet Rabbits), Horses, Dairy (breeding), and Llamas/Alpacas.
• Records should be completed through September 18^th. We understand there are portions of your book(s) that cannot be finished until after fair (i.e. profit/loss statements). We also know that you could not do everything you normally could have done this year with regard to citizenship, leadership, and project activities – but please update these sections of your book(s) the best you can for what you were able to do this year. Complete as much of your book as possible through September 18^th.
• For project completion requirements for each species, please review the 4-H Project Guidelines for Fair Projects.
• If more work does need to be completed in project books (i.e. a book is turned in with numerous pages not filled out), you should expect to get a phone call asking you to pick-up your book and work on it more in order for it to be complete and be eligible to show at the fair.
• Remember: Exhibition at the fair is an option beyond completion of 4-H and FFA projects. It is a privilege, not a right. You must be a member in good standing with your 4-H Club/FFA Chapter in order to show at the fair. One of the requirements for both organizations is completed project/record books.
• Families can choose to drop off books on their own but should communicate that with their club advisor(s).

What do 4-H advisors need to do?

• Sign the front covers of the 4-H Project Books!
• Help with book collection and drop off at the Extension Office.
• Books can be dropped in a box/tote provided by the club at the front door of the Extension Office. Or, you may place books in tote that we will place outside the Extension Office. No appointments are needed for book drop-off only.
• Families can choose to drop off books on their own but should communicate that with you.

Drop-off schedule:

• Monday, September 21^st from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 22^nd from 9:00 a.m. – 7:15 p.m.
• Wednesday, September 23^rd from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 24^th from 9:00 a.m. – 7:15 p.m.
• Friday, September 25^th from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

How will 4-H Staff/FFA Advisors review books?

• We will not be using a rubric.
• We will be looking for current, up to date records for this year.
• We expect the book to be completed for the projects that are taken.
• We expect the front cover of the book to be completed and legible.
• We expect members to complete their own project/record books.
• A quick project/record book review will take place prior to fair. If more work needs to be done in a 4-H project/record book prior to fair (i.e. a book is turned in with numerous pages not filled out), we will contact the exhibitor to pickup their book(s) and to work on it more in order for it to be complete and be eligible to show at the fair.
• We will keep books until after fair to allow for a more thorough review books and so we can provide feedback on how 4-H members can learn and make their books better. This is meant to be a learning process this year, much like learning how the Skillathons were going to be for the first time this year. Books will be returned in December when 4-H Advisors pick-up Livestock Sale Checks on behalf of the club.

Details on 4-H Project Books:

The newer 4-H livestock record books are designed to include records for all projects taken in that specie. Add additional pages if needed if you are keeping separate records (i.e. pygmy vs. dairy goats). If you are taking more than one project in a specie, you should fill out all information applicable for those projects in your 4-H record book (market, breeding, feeders, etc). Those projects that share ONE 4-H record book are as follows:

• ONE (135) Project/Record Book should be turned in for all 4-H Goat Projects:
  • (135BD) Dairy Goats
  • (135BM) Breeding Meat Goats
  • (135M) Market Goats
  • (135PY) Pygmy Goats
• ONE (117) Beef Project/ Record Book should be turned in for all 4-H Beef Projects:
  • (117B) Beef Breeding
  • (117DF) Dairy Beef Feeder
  • (117M) Market Beef
  • (117BF) Beef Feeder
• ONE (150) Poultry Project and Record Book should be turned in for all 4-H Poultry Projects:
  • (150CE) Chicken, Exhibition
  • (150CM) Chicken, Market
  • (150CEP) Chicken, Egg Production: Hens and Pullets
  • (150DE) Duck, Exhibition
  • (150DM Duck, Market
  • (150GE) Goose, Exhibition
  • (150TE) Turkey, Exhibition
  • (150TM) Turkey, Market
  • (150H) Helmeted Guinea Fowl
• ONE (190R) Equine Record Book for the following Horse Projects:
  • (174) Beginning Horse Management*
    • *First year members taking (174) Beginning Horse Management can turn in this book with completed records for their first year and do not need to turn in the (190R) Equine Record Book. For second year and up, members taking (174) Beginning Horse Management should turn in the (190R) Equine Record Book.
  • (175) Light Horse Selection
  • (177) Horse Training: How to Talk to Your Horse
  • (180) Learning to Jump
  • (181) Draft Horse
  • (182) Small Equine
  • (184) Standardbred Horses
  • (185) Equine Reproduction and Genetics
  • (188) Trail Riding
  • (189) Dressage
  • (762) Horse Nutrition

The 4-H livestock record books that have not been updated by Ohio 4-H in recent years have separate books for breeding and market. 4-H members taking both market and breeding should be completing a book for each project.

• SEPARATE Record/Project Books should be turned in for (199) Sheep Breeding and (198) Market Lambs.
• SEPARATE Record/Project Books should be turned in for (225) Breeding Rabbits and (226) Market Rabbits.
• SEPARATE Record Books should be turned in for (122 ) Dairy Heifers and (126) Dairy Cows.

Additional books that should be completed for the following projects:

• Market Hogs: (139) Market Hog Project and Record Book
• Llama/Alpaca: (132) Llama and Alpaca Project and Record Book
• Pigeons: (365.22) Self Determined Idea Starter: Pigeons

Book Drop-Off Exceptions:

• You and Your Dog exhibitors will keep books and bring with them to Dog Judging at the fair on Sunday, October 11^th.
• Companion Animal (including 227 Pet Rabbit) exhibitors will keep books and bring with them to Companion Animal Judging at the fair on Sunday, October 11^th.
• 4-H Gardening/Crop Project exhibitors will keep books and bring with them when they drop off their fair display on Saturday, October 10^th between 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the 4-H Display Barn.
• Cakes/Pies/Candies exhibitors will keep books and bring with them to Cakes/Pies/Candies Judging at the fair on Monday, October 12^th.

Additional questions can be addressed to Leslie Cooksey, 4-H Extension Educator, by email at cooksey.25@osu.edu. Additionally, feel free to listen to this recording of an interview with Connie Smith featured on 88.9 The Farm Page on Saturday, September 12^th where 4-H and FFA project/record books are discussed: https://u.osu.edu/thenews/files/2020/09/LeslieBooks.2020.mp3

 For a printable version of this information, click here: 2020 Project Book Information