Senior Fair

Attention Livestock Exhibitors: Quality Assurance Requirements

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

Deadlines for 2024:

  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2024.
  • Youth planning to exhibit at the Fairfield County Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 30, 2024.

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 2024:

  • 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. 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 Thursday, May 2nd from 6:30-8:30 p.m. or Saturday, May 18th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Fairfield County Ag Center/Extension Office (831 College Ave. Lancaster). 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 2024, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to  https://yqcaprogram.org/ for the training and quiz.
    • Instructions for using the new website can be found at: 2022 YQCA Website Instructions
    • Exhibitors must complete by June 30, 2024 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). The age of the course should be age as of January 1st of the current year.
    • When you are finished, please send a pdf/picture of your certificate which includes exhibitor name(s) and certificate number(s) to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Quality Assurance should be completed for Ohio State Fair exhibitors by June 1st

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Fairfield County 4-H and FFA youth planning to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair must have their Quality Assurance completed by June 1st, 2024 to meet the 45 days prior to the Ohio State Fair exhibition (as required by the Ohio Department of Agriculture). Youth who do not meet this requirement, will have any entries denied.

If youth still need to complete Quality Assurance to meet this requirement and your club/chapter is not planning to host their own QA Clinic by June 1st, we recommend you complete QA through the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals online modules or attend the countywide makeup QA Trainings on May 2nd or May 18th.

  • In-Person Countywide Make-Up Clinics: To be held on Thursday, May 2nd from 6:30-8:30 p.m. or Saturday, May 18th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Fairfield County Ag Center/Extension Office (831 College Ave. Lancaster). An RSVP is required. Please click here to register for a countywide QA makeup clinic.
  • Online: Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). This is the ONLY approved ONLINE Quality Assurance Program for youth in Ohio. For 2024, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to  https://yqcaprogram.org/ for the training and quiz.
    • Instructions for using the new website can be found at: 2022 YQCA Website Instructions
    • Exhibitors must complete by June 30, 2024 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). The age of the course should be age as of January 1st of the current year.
    • When you are finished, please send name(s) and certificate number(s) to Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Junior and Senior Fair Boards attend Ohio Fair Managers Association Convention

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Last weekend, Junior and Senior Fair Board members had the opportunity to attend the Ohio Fair Managers Association Convention. On Saturday, members attended various sessions and workshops related to Junior Fair learning new ideas on how to better communicate, lead, and organize events and livestock shows.

Junior Fair Families: ODA Comment Period Open for Proposed Changes to Livestock Exhibition Rules

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The Ohio Department of Agriculture, division of Animal Health – Animal Exhibitions Program, has posted the following rules to its website. As stakeholders, please read and review the proposed rules and provide comments back to the department by January 8, 2024.

  • OAC 901:1-18
  • OAC 901-19

You can find these rules under the “Stakeholder Review” tab of the Department’s Administrative Rule Review page. You can find the Department’s Administrative Rule Review page by visiting here.

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Poultry Exhibitor Meeting: November 16th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Poultry Superintendents:

Junior Fair Poultry Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair poultry exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Poultry Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2023/2024 Poultry Shows on Thursday, November 16th, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Fairfield County Ag Center/OSU Extension Office. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Rabbit Exhibitor Meeting: November 20th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Rabbit Superintendents:

Junior Fair Rabbit Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair rabbit exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Rabbit Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2023/2024 Rabbit Shows on Monday, November 20th, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Fairfield County Ag Center/OSU Extension Office. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Sheep Exhibitor Meeting: November 14th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Sheep Superintendents: 

Junior Fair Sheep Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair sheep exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Sheep Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2023/2024 Sheep Shows on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Fairfield County Ag Center/OSU Extension Office. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Meat/Market Goat Exhibitor Meeting: November 13th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Superintendents:

Junior Fair Meat/Market Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair meat/market goat exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Meat/Market Goat Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2023/2024 Junior Fair Shows on Monday, November 13th, 2023, beginning at 7 p.m. at Rickett’s Hall at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

Special Thanks to Farm Credit for Photo Banner Sponsorships

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The Fairfield County Senior Fairboard has been working to capture some additional dollars from the Farm Credit Community Grant program for the Junior Fair Youth.  In addition to the purchase of $2,500 worth of new gates we have worked on upgrading the Banners used to recognize each species in every Barn with a banner that could be utilized for photo opportunities with your show area or your barn stalling area.  Those banners are 60” x 36”.  We are simply asking you look at your show arena or stalling area and figure out a good way to utilize these grommeted banners to highlight your display area or enhance pictures with your exhibitors. We will provide zip ties for easy hanging and we hope to have these banners available for you next Sunday in the Junior Fair Office or just prior to your show.

These banners are not dated and the hope is to use them for several years.  THE BANNERS ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN HOME by exhibitors or show committees. We have invested nearly $2,000 to upgrade these banners in each barn and for each show, including Companion Animals, thanks to Farm Credit. In addition, to the Banners we have purchased storage tubes for the banners to remain in the Junior Fair office when not in use during Fair week.  When possible, please send a thank you note to  Leland Tinklepaugh, Farm Credit Mid-America, 7835 Lancaster-Newark Rd NE, Baltimore, OH 43105.