FFA

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 2021:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2021.
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by August 15th, 2021.

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 2021:

  • 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 April 7th and April 26th). 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 8th at 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and Sunday, May 23rd at 2:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. at the Ed Sands Building at the Fairgrounds. Attendance is limited and an RSVP is required. Please register online at this link for either countywide in-person QA Clinic: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0P19iWcND165rpQ
  • 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 2021, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to: https://yqca.learngrow.io/Account/Login
      • Fairfield County 4-H Members should select “sign in with 4-HOnline”. It will prompt you to select a state and then enter your 4-HOnline account information. After successfully logging in, you will be given a list of active family members. Select the family member and start the account creation process.
      • Fairfield County FFA Members (who are not in 4-H) should select FFA & Independent Sign-In.
    • You will need to select the web-based training ($12.00 per member, annually).
    • For a complete list of directions visit: Getting Your YQCA Online Certification
    • When you are finished, please send name(s) and certificate number(s) to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Countywide (make-up) Youth Quality Assurance Trainings: May 8th and May 23rd (RSVP required)

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The FIRST of two make-up countywide Quality Assurance Clinics will be held Saturday, May 8th at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds (Ed Sands/Farm Bureau Building) from 9:30-11:00 a.m. Advanced registration is required and attendance will be limited to 40 youth. RSVP by completing the survey at this link. Please arrive on time so we can get the training started promptly at 9:30 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 23rd from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., in the Ed Sands/Farm Bureau Building. Advanced registration is required and attendance will be limited to 40 youth. RSVP by completing the survey at this link.

Homegrown Market Wether and Homegrown Market Rabbit Forms due May 1st

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Please be reminded that intent forms to participate in the Homegrown Market Wether (goat) and also the Homegrown Market Rabbit programs are due by Saturday, May 1st. Both forms are completed through an online survey using the links below.

In order to compete in the Homegrown Market Wether (goat) class at the Fairfield County Fair, exhibitors must enroll in 135M and will need to submit their intention by May 1st. To do so, please visit this link and complete the online survey: http://go.osu.edu/2021hgwether
In order to compete in the Homegrown Market Rabbit class at the Fairfield County Fair, exhibitors must enroll in 226 Market Rabbits and will need to submit their intention by May 1st. To do so, please visit this link and complete the online survey: http://go.osu.edu/2021hgrabbit

Barrow and Lamb MQP Applications Due May 1st

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Please be reminded that applications to participate in the Barrow MQP and also the Lamb MQP programs are due by Saturday, May 1st. The application along with an essay not to exceed 300 words must be postmarked by May 1, or received in the OSU Extension office before the close of business on May 3, 2021 (since the 1st falls on a Saturday).

The applications may be found here: https://go.osu.edu/fclivestockresources
How can you submit your application and essay?
1. You may drop the off at the Extension Office by scheduling an appointment by calling 740-653-5419.
2. Mail it via US Postal Service. Entries must be postmarked by May 1st.
3. Drop it in locked drop box on the east side of the building (marked with a 4-H clover sign).
4. Submit by uploading to the Member Virtual Drop Box: http://go.osu.edu/memmailbox

PBS Animal Health – 2021 4-H/FFA Discount Program

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Please see the link to the form below to participate in a 5% discount on all items purchased for exhibitor livestock projects at PBS Animal Health. There will be a gift certificate shared to a winning club/participant at the end of the year!

For information, contact Chris Johnson at PBS Animal Health in Circleville 740-474-7394 or cjohnson@pbsanimalhealth.com.

Link to form: PBS Discount Program

Fairfield County Market Beef Tagging, Weighing, and DNA Sample Collection Procedure for 2021

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For those planning to exhibit 4-H and FFA market beef projects at the 2021 Fairfield County Junior Fair:

This information is available at this link as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to change the way we do many things in life that had become seemingly routine. Fortunately, in most cases the advances in technology have allowed many of these changes to take place almost seamlessly. The annual Junior market beef weigh-in and tagging in Fairfield County is an example.

As we continue to be surrounded by the virus, in order to tag market beef as safely as possible, yet ensure the integrity of our show, this year we will be employing a tagging process similar to that utilized by the Ohio State Fair market beef show in recent years.

Youth will be required to tag their market beef animals with a visual and EID tag (unless their calf already has an EID tag, in this case they will apply only a visual tag) and must submit a hair follicle DNA sample prior to weigh-in on March 13, 2021. In advance, families with market beef projects will also be required to reserve a weigh-in time for the March 13 event, and only those directly involved in transporting and weighing-in calves should plan to attend . . . please, no spectators! The goal is to reduce congregation at weigh-in and minimize the transfer of paperwork. Specifically, the step-by-step process includes . . .

1) The deadline for ownership and possession of a market beef project in Fairfield County remains March 1.

2) Youth/families planning to weigh/tag-in market steers and market heifers for the 2021 Fair must submit a request for their tags on-line by completing the survey linked here before March 2, 2021. Complete only one request survey per family.

3) When requesting your tags on-line you will be asked for the first date you would like to pick up your tags and the necessary tagger(s) at the Sr. Fair office. Please order your tags at least two working days prior to your preferred date to pick them up. Senior Fair staff will then contact you to make an appointment for pick up when your tagging packets and taggers are ready. Please be reminded that the Sr. Fair office is typically open M-F from 8:30 a.m. until Noon.

4) The ‘tagging packet’ will include a combination visual numbered ear and EID tag (EID tags are sometimes also called RFID tags; radio frequency identification), and a small zip lock plastic bag for supplying a hair/DNA sample. If a calf already has an EID tag, that original tag must remain in the animal and you will not receive a new EID tag for that calf. It is a violation of Federal law to EVER remove an ‘840’ EID tag.

If your calf does not already have an EID tag, your kit for that calf will include a combo visual/EID tag.

NOTE: Tag applicators may be borrowed from the Sr. Fair Office at the time tagging packets are picked up and must be returned in a timely fashion at a time agreed upon at the time they are received. Exhibitors needing assistance in tagging should contact their 4-H/FFA advisor for assistance.

5) Youth/families are expected to apply the required tags in the calf’s ear prior to weigh/tag-in on March 13, 2021 and submit their individual exhibitor, calf tagging, housing and County Bred, Born & Raised information on a second survey linked here before March 11, at 12 noon.

NOTE: Those participating in the Born, Bred, and Raised (B, B & R) in Fairfield County show may upload their breeder signed B, B & R form when submitting their individual calf information on-line in the second form found linked above, or must turn in their signed B, B & R in an envelope on weigh in day. A copy of the B, B & R form is linked here. Be certain all information is complete and your breeder is a member of the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association (FCCA). FCCA membership details may be found linked here.

6) In the second survey linked above each family will also select the time they will arrive with their calf(s) to be weighed and checked in on March 13. All tagged calves must be weighed in on March 13, 2021, at the Fairfield Cattle Company facility located at 3443 Cincinnati-Zanesville Road (S.R. 22), Lancaster.

7) By the time of tagging youth/families are also expected to submit a hair follicle DNA sample from each calf they tag in. The zip lock plastic bag for submitting this hair sample is included in each ‘tagging packet’ and can be seen in the photo above. If you’ve not done this before, see this one minute YouTube for detail on how to collect the hair sample: https://youtu.be/Upl-09ZOLF0

8) Any unused tagging packets including the tags and/or any extra EID tags must be returned to the Sr. Fair Office along with completed tagging packets that include the hair DNA sample, and details of who will be potentially exhibiting each calf. These packets may be returned at the time taggers are returned, or at weigh-in on March 13, 2021.

For more information on this new tagging and weighing process for your 2021 Fairfield County Fair market beef animals, contact Junior Fair Director Chuck Miller at: keywest100@att.net.

Teen Opportunity: Ohio Youth Capital Challenge (Applications due 2/1/2021)

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There’s still time for youth interested in government and public policy to apply to be part of the Ohio Youth Capital Challenge. High School students from 4-H, FFA and the Ohio Farm Bureau work in teams to research local issues, create a policy and learn more about state and local government. Find the details and apply by February 1st, 2021 at https://ohio4h.org/…/just…/ohio-youth-capital-challenge

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Ohio FFA Foundation Scholarships – Application due 2/1/2021

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One application for three scholarship opportunities! Application are now open and due February 1, 2021. Here are the scholarships:

  • Earl “Doc” Kantner Scholarship
  • Ohio HBPA Scholarship
  • Ohio State Fair Scholarship

The application includes 3 essay questions plus students must upload their current resume. Please have your essay responses and resume prepared in other documents to copy into the application, as you cannot save your work and return later. The resume file must be saved as a .pdf file.

You can find the questions and eligibility requirements by visiting the scholarship webpage found at https://ohioffa.org/foundation/programs/scholarships/.

Remember only one application is needed per student. Questions can be directed to the Ohio FFA Foundation staff at kmann@ohioffa.org.