Ohio Department of Agriculture

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 Poultry Producers! Be Alert and Practice Enhanced Biosecurity

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For more information on biosecurity practices, visit: USDA APHIS | Defend the Flock – Resource Center

Defend the Flock Winter Bulletin
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/dtf-newsletter-winter-22.pdf

All cases in commercial and backyard flocks: USDA APHIS | 2022 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Attention Poultry Producers (including 4-H members and anyone raising backyard poultry): Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Biosecurity Measures

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Last week USDA APHIS issued updates that included multiple cases of High Path Avian Influenza in the Carolinas(waterfowl), which would put them on a path towards Ohio following the migratory waterfowl pathways. Below is a one-pager with a bunch of helpful links embedded to assist those who are hunters, backyard poultry keepers, or members of the 4-H community as they prepare for chick season. You may also download this information here: High Path Avian Influenza Update 2022.01.19 Biosecurity will be critical to avoid an outbreak this season.

Source: Timothy McDermott DVM; Assistant Professor, Extension Educator; Agriculture and Natural Resources, Franklin County

DUNF: Drug Use Notification Forms – MUST be completed before WEIGH-IN (do not submit until after Oct. 7th)!

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DUNF Forms – These will be completed online this year. I would suggest that exhibitors should not fill them out until as close to weigh-in/move-in day as possible to ensure the information is correct and their market/lactating animal is drug free moving into fair. The link to the online DUNF Form is in the specie rules of the Junior Fair Book (under Health Papers).

A direct link to the DUNF is: http://go.osu.edu/fairfielddunf. If someone submits a form with errors, please have them contact Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu so we can delete that record and they will be asked to submit a new form.

Online DUNF Instructions – Fairfield

Market Poultry exhibitors will not have identification until fair weigh-in for their birds. Please put TBD in the identification field and we will update your form after weigh-in.

As a reminder:

Valid and current Drug Use Notification Forms (DUNF) must be submitted on-line immediately prior to the Fairfield County Fair  for each market or lactating animal that is exhibited by a youth participating in Junior Fair. Animals requiring a DUNF indicating the animal is free from any/all drugs in it’s system on fair weigh-in/move-in day are:

  • Market Beef (Steer or Heifer)
  • Dairy Beef Feeder
  • Dairy Cow (Lactating)
  • MQP Barrow
  • Market Barrow
  • Market Gilt
  • Market Goat
  • Dairy Goat (Lactating)
  • Market Chicken
  • Market Turkey
  • Market Duck
  • MQP Lamb
  • Market Lamb

A separate form must be completed for each animal being brought to the Fair. If the information on the form regarding drug use changes or if a drug is subsequently administered at any time after the drug use notification form is filed, an updated drug use notification form shall immediately be filed with the records official (contact Leslie Cooksey information if a second form must be submitted).

Forms should be completed no sooner than 3 days prior to animal weigh-in to be sure that their animal is drug free during fair. Forms submitted prior to that timeframe will be deleted and exhibitors will be asked to resubmit the DUNF form closer to their animal’s weigh-in.

  • MQP Barrows will weigh-in on Sunday, September 26th. (submit your form between the 24th and 26th)
  • MQP Lambs will weigh-in on Sunday, October 3rd. (submit your form between the 1st and 3rd)
  • All other animals being brought to the fair requiring DUNF forms will need to submit their forms after October 7th and by Saturday, October 9th.

To submit your form for each animal, begin by going to this link.

Attention Livestock Exhibitors: DUNF Forms now available!

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The Drug Use Notification Forms (DUNF) are now available at the Senior Fair Office and the OSU Extension Office. Advisors should please send a representative from your club to pick-up the forms. Forms will be due at weigh-in for each species. As a reminder, our county code is 94. Continuing from 2017: Per page 7 of the Junior Fair Book, Rule 26 states: Market animals and any species that requires a DUNF must be free from any/all drugs in their system at fair weigh-in day.

All exhibitors at the Fairfield County Junior Fair must abide by the rules listed in the 2018 Junior Fair Book. Please note that animals must be drug free or within tolerance by weigh-in day of fair. Each member is to bring a completed Drug Use Notification Form (DUNF) to weigh-in at fair. Livestock exhibitors must have completed a Quality Assurance Training by June 30, 2018 and should indicated so on the DUNF in order to exhibit at the 2018 Fairfield County Junior Fair. If the forms are not correctly completed, exhibitors will not be permitted to show.

ODA Internship Program for Summer 2018

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ODA is pleased to announce the Ohio Department of Agriculture internship program for Summer 2018. They are now accepting applications from students from all disciplines for the internship program that will run from May 23rd – August 5th, 2018.

Upon successful completion of the internship, $500 scholarships will be awarded to interns and dispensed directly to their college or university of enrollment.

Timeline:

  • Application deadline: January 31, 2018, 5 pm.
  • Interviews: February and March, 2018 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
  • Accepted candidates will be notified by April 6, 2018.
  • Internship period: May 23 – August 5, 2018

Criteria:

  • Applicants must have satisfactorily completed at least one term of freshman coursework at an accredited college or university.
  • Applicants must provide their own transportation to the ODA campus.
  • Applicants must be familiar with using personal computers and Windows operating systems.

Return ODA University Application with:
Cover Letter, resume, and letter of reference to
Traci Hayes, Chief, Human Resources
Ohio Department of Agriculture
8995 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068

DUE: January 31, 2018

Source: http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/pages/odauniversity.aspx

2018 Ohio Fairs Schedule Now Available

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Source: ODA Communications, (614) 752-9817, communications@agri.ohio.gov

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Dec. 13, 2017) – Ohioans can start planning visits to all of their favorite fairs across the state. The Ohio Department of Agriculture today released the official dates for the 2018 fair season, which includes Ohio’s 94 county and independent fairs and the Ohio State Fair.

The Paulding County Fair will kick off the 2018 fair season on June 11, and the season will wrap up on Oct. 13 with the Fairfield County Fair. For a complete schedule, click here.

In addition to setting and approving the dates for the independent and county fairs, the department is responsible for helping to assure the safety of fair amusement rides, monitoring livestock shows to help assure honest competition and coordinating animal health efforts with local veterinarians.

Ag is COOL!

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The Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio State Fair and the buckeye state’s agricultural commodity groups are again sponsoring the “Agriculture is Cool” program at the Ohio State Fair complete with exciting interactive stations like the opportunity to milk a cow!

Here are ways you can participate:

  • K-12 Students can participate in the Creative Expression Contest
  • 4th Graders can present their report card at the Ohio State Fair Entry Gate and get in free!
  • 4th Graders can write an essay and win a $500 scholarship!

For more information, view this flyer:

ODA Rule Updates effective 3/23/3017 for Quality Assurance

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The Ohio Department of Agriculture recently made an update to the Ohio Administrative Code 901-19-07 Quality Assurance as of 3/23/2017. In addition to reviewing this information, please note that the Fairfield County Junior Fair Quality Assurance Requirements for livestock exhibitors are printed in the 4-H Member’s Handbook and will be printed in the Fairfield County Junior Fair Book which will be posted online soon. Fairfield County youth exhibiting livestock at the 2017 Ohio State Fair and/or Fairfield County Junior Fair are required to complete Quality Assurance by June 30th, 2017 (no exceptions) and this must be an approved Quality Assurance event taught by a Certified Instructor or Assistant Instructor. For questions, please contact our office at 740-652-7260.

The complete listing under Quality Assurance as outlined in the Ohio Administrative Code 901-19-07 Quality Assurance reads as follows:(please notice that the information included in section (C) is the updated part of this Rule):

901-19-07 Quality assurance.

This is a mandatory rule.

(A) Except as stated in paragraph (B) of this rule, sponsors shall require exhibitors at fairs sponsored by county or independent agricultural societies or the Ohio exposition commission to annually attend or complete a quality assurance program sponsored and conducted cooperatively by the exhibition sponsor, Ohio state university extension, Ohio agricultural education, or agricultural commodity organizations.

(B) At the discretion of Ohio state university extension, or Ohio agricultural education, an exhibitor may pass a test based on the appropriate skill level for their age (twelve to fourteen or fifteen to eighteen) under the supervision of Ohio state university extension or Ohio agricultural education before exhibiting terminal or partial terminal market livestock, including market poultry, lactating dairy cattle and lactating goats in a junior livestock show. Youth who pass the test will be exempt from annual quality assurance re-certification until they move to the next age bracket or they are no longer a junior exhibitor (nineteen years of age or older on January first of their last year). Minimum standards for youth food animal quality assurance are as set forth in appendix A to this rule.

(C) Exhibitors who fail to attend or complete a quality assurance program or fail to pass the exam as outlined in paragraph (B) of this rule may be subject to the disciplinary actions listed in rule 901-19-21 of the Administrative Code.

Effective: 3/23/2017
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 03/21/2021
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 901.72
Rule Amplifies: 901.72
Prior Effective Dates: 05/01/97, 03/19/99, 03/25/00, 02/15/03, 02/13/04, 02/19/07, 02/19/2008, 03/21/2016

ODA Launches 2017 “Ag is Cool!” Creative Expression Contest

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REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (April 05, 2017) –The Ohio Department of Agriculture today announced it will begin accepting entries for the 2017 “Agriculture is Cool!” Creative Expression Contest. Children enrolled in school or home schooled in Ohio during the 2016-2017 academic year have until June 5, 2017 to capture their personal interpretation of why Ohio agriculture is cool for their chance to win prizes, including tickets to the Ohio State Fair.

“Ag is Cool!” entries, which can include an original video, photograph, drawing or painting, will be judged in the following age categories. One winner from each age group and category will be chosen:

  • Grades K-2: Photography, Drawing or Painting
  • Grades 3-5: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
  • Grades 6-8: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting
  • Grades 9-12: Video, Photography, Drawing or Painting

Entries will be judged by a panel that may include representatives from the Office of Governor John Kasich, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio State Fair and professionals in the areas of video production, photography, drawing, painting and other visual arts. Judging will be based on the student’s visual representation of the “Ag is Cool!” theme, if it accurately reflects 21st Century agriculture, use of Ohio images, creativity and quality of work.

Winners of the art contest will be recognized by the Office of Governor Kasich and other state officials at the Ohio State Fair on July 26, 2017.

For additional information about the contest, a complete copy of the rules and entry form visit http://www.agri.ohio.gov/AgIsCool/ or call 614-752-9817.

Ashley McDonald, (614) 752-9817, Ashley.McDonald@agri.ohio.gov