State Fair

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.

Attention STATE FAIR livestock exhibitors – PLEASE READ!

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Those who plan to exhibit at the 2021 Ohio State Fair will need to complete their Quality Assurance by June 1st, 2021. Members must also be enrolled at the county level by May 1st in the project(s) they intend to exhibit at the Ohio State Fair. Our office will be asked to verify both QA  completion and that members are enrolled in the correct projects (breeding projects, for example) on all Ohio State Fair junior livestock entries.

Information about the Ohio State Fair is expected to be released in early May – including a schedule. The Ohio State Fair will not be open to the public in 2021. State Fair dates are July 19 – August 8, 2021. Additionally, we expect entries to be due by June 20th (online) like past years. Here is the link to the Ohio State Fair livestock website.

4-H and FFA members must make OSF entries online at https://ohiostatefair.com/livestock/

No late OSF entries will be accepted. Additionally, you may review the link above to confirm rules and possession dates for the Ohio State Fair.

Attention Ohio State Fair Swine Exhibitors:

  • 4-H youth who wish to take a GILT in the Junior Swine Show MUST be enrolled in the Breeding Swine Project. There is no Market Gilt Show at the Ohio State Fair. This project must be submitted by your May 1st enrollment deadline via 4-HOnline.
  • New for 2021: Youth who are taking hogs to the Ohio State Fair must have a parent/guardian certified in Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) by June 20th. One parent can complete this certification for all children in the family (household). The certification is good for 3 years and is required by the packer at the state fair. The certification number is required when making swine entries on June 20th (you will be asked to enter that information). For more information on how to complete this requirement, please contact Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.
  • Additionally, the Ohio State Fair is Ractopamine (i.e. Paylean) free for market hogs. You will have to select that you understand this when making your Ohio State Fair entry and you will have to provide a signed affidavit at weigh-in at state fair.

2021 Ohio State Fair to focus on agriculture and educational competitions

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4/8/2021 News Release from the Ohio Expo Center/Ohio State Fair. Further details will be shared as we learn more.

Agricultural and educational competitions focus of the 2021 Ohio State Fair

For the last several months, we have been weighing options for how to safely open the gates to the 2021 Ohio State Fair. There is nothing more rewarding than cutting the ribbon and greeting thousands of fairgoers, exhibitors, vendors, sponsors, and entertainers. Together, we’ve enjoyed taking selfies by the butter cow, talking to Smokey Bear, eating deep-fried food on a stick, walking down the brightly lit Midway, visiting the livestock barns, and listening to the sounds of the All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir.

We’re optimistic about where our state will be as more and more Ohioans are vaccinated. And, we’ve been closely following the latest public health guidance, and believe that Ohioans will continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash hands to get us below 50 cases per 100,000 Ohioans for a two-week period, bringing the COVID-19 public health orders to an end. While we are hopeful that we will soon be on the other side of this pandemic, the reality is that cases of COVID-19 remain high, and we just don’t know how things will look in July.

That is why we have decided to significantly limit the scope of the 2021 Ohio State Fair, focusing on livestock competitions and concluding with a modified Sale of Champions to celebrate the hard work of our young exhibitors. The Fair will not be open to the public, and will be limited to exhibitors, their families, and guests, stretching the Fair over a longer period of time with an anticipated start date of July 19. This decision will not only help to protect the health and safety of Ohioans, it will also protect the long-term financial viability of the fair.

Many of the typical things associated with the Ohio State Fair – rides, concerts, entertainers, live music, food vendors, and shopping – are expected to return in 2022.

The 2021 Ohio State Fair will be open to exhibitors and family members for youth and senior livestock competitions, along with educational project judging for non-livestock competitions, such as 4-H. Detailed plans are forthcoming.

We are thankful for the support of our exhibitors, volunteers, vendors, partners, performers, concessionaires, youth leaders and sponsors, and look forward to being together again. The 2022 Ohio State Fair is slated for July 27 – August 7.

2021 Ohio Fair Schedule Now Available

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REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Dec. 21, 2020) –The Ohio Department of Agriculture today released the official dates for the 2021 fair season.

The Paulding County Fair will kick off the 2021 fair season on June 12, and the season will wrap up on October 16 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 Ohio Department of Agriculture is responsible for helping to ensure the safety of fair amusement rides, monitoring livestock shows to ensure honest competition and coordinating animal health efforts with local veterinarians.

Contact: Katie Boyer, (614) 563-6974, katie.boyer@agri.ohio.gov

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Ohio State Fair Market Beef Exhibitors – DNA Sample Deadline EXTENDED to 1/30/2020

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The deadline for youth who plan to show market beef at the Ohio State Fair to send in their DNA samples has been EXTENDED for 2021 only through Saturday, January 30th, 2021. The Ohio State Fair, OSU Department of Animal Science, and Ohio 4-H will continue to monitor COVID and update us as necessary.

Please note that a 4-H Educator must sign off on these envelopes before they are submitted to the Ohio State Fair so please plan accordingly considering our Extension Office is now closed – please communicate directly with Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu and she will get a kit to you in the mail. 

“Ohio State Fair Anywhere: An Online Experience” starts 7/29/2020

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COLUMBUS – From Wednesday, July 29, through Sunday, August 9, Ohioans can enjoy their fair favorites from the comfort of their homes. “Ohio State Fair Anywhere: An Online Experience” will provide Ohioans with recipes, butter cow content, music, entertainment and daily programming on the Ohio Channel featuring past fair experiences.

A digital collection of fair favorites is available at ohiostatefair.com/anywhere, including:

 

• Recipes for fair food that can be made at home, blue ribbon culinary creations and a digital recipe guide for foods served at the Taste of Ohio Café and Dairy Products Building
• Mountain Dew Virtual Midway ride videos via YouTube
• A “Shop the Fair” page featuring dozens of the Ohio State Fair’s vendors, including a commemorative Ohio State Fair t-shirt from Homage
• Spotify playlists featuring Fair concert performers, and the Ohio State Fair podcast, “A Fair to Remember”
• Behind-the-scenes videos featuring the sculptors of the iconic butter cow, performances from the fair’s musicians and entertainers, the beauty of the fair’s Natural Resources Park and more

In addition, there will be competitions and engaging opportunities on the Ohio State Fair’s social media pages, @ohiostatefair, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, including:

• A Facebook Live Spin-To-Win contest with Marathon Pipe Line on Aug. 1 at 1 p.m.
• The chance to complete a fun Lottery Fair BINGO card for the chance to win daily Ohio Lottery prize packages
• A #BackToSchoolWithKroger giveaway for a chance to win a Kroger gift card for sharing a photo with a teacher or honorary teacher (like a parent or guardian)
• Giveaways for Pepsi prize packs for sharing photos of pets using the hashtag #PepsiDogDays and a pair-a-Pepsi comment to win contest on Facebook

Ohioans will be able to tune into the Ohio Channel at noon each day, July 29 through August 9, to view Ohio State Fair coverage from previous fairs. The Ohio Channel is broadcast on WVIZ/PBS Ideastream in Akron/Cleveland, WOUB in Athens, WCET in Cincinnati, WOSU in Columbus, WPTD/Think TV in Dayton and WGTE in Toledo.

The Ohio Expositions Commission canceled the 2020 Ohio State Fair in Columbus due to concerns for public health, as well as the financial feasibility of hosting a fair that would adhere to social distancing protocols and its impact on the long-term viability of the Ohio State Fair. Last year, 934,925 people attended the Ohio State Fair during its 12-day run. These attendees came from each of Ohio’s 88 counties, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Mexico.

Media contact: Alicia Shoults, 614-602-1506, a.shoults@expo.ohio.gov

2020 Ohio State Fair has been Cancelled

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Ohio State University Extension 4-H Youth Development respects the decision made by the Ohio Expositions Commission. We recognize this was incredibly difficult. Ohio 4-H youth remain resilient and will have the ability to complete their 4-H project work, although their experiences will be different this year due to COVID-19. We remain committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to elevate the important role played by Ohio’s agricultural community and that commitment to Ohio’s youth. We look forward to continuing our collective work and a brighter 2021. Ohio 4-H is the youth development program of OSU Extension, which is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

 

May 21, 2020 Ohio Expositions Commission Press Release:

Today, the Ohio Expositions Commission announced that it will cancel the 2020 Ohio State Fair, originally scheduled for July 29 – August 9 in Columbus. Members of the Commission expressed concern for public health, as well as the financial feasibility of hosting a socially distant fair that would adhere to social distancing protocols and its impact on the long-term viability of the Ohio State Fair.

“After careful thought and deliberation, we have decided to cancel the Ohio State Fair. Knowing how easily the virus spreads in large groups, we believe it is the safest path forward for the health and safety of all Ohioans.” said Andy Doehrel, chair of the Ohio Expositions Commission. “The financial ramifications of hosting a reduced-capacity Fair would be too great, and we need to protect the great Ohio State Fair for future generations.”

“Our first priority is the safety of the hundreds of thousands of people involved in the Ohio State Fair each year. While this is a difficult decision, we feel it is necessary to protect the fairgoers, exhibitors, volunteers, vendors, partners, performers, concessionaires, youth leaders, employees and sponsors,” said Virgil Strickler, general manager of the Ohio Expo Center & State Fair. “I look forward to seeing my fellow Ohioans at the 2021 Ohio State Fair, when it is safer for us to enjoy our favorite traditions together.”

Last year, 934,925 people attended the Ohio State Fair during its 12-day run. These attendees came from each of Ohio’s 88 counties, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Mexico.

The Ohio Expositions Commission is focused on developing a strategy to responsibly reopen its year-round facilities when appropriate, and to welcome guests back for the 2021 Ohio State Fair, scheduled for July 28 through August 8 of next year.

Source: Ohio State Fair website.

Attention STATE FAIR livestock exhibitors – PLEASE READ!

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For those 4-H and FFA members who wish to enter into the Junior Shows at the Ohio State Fair, please read!

This message was pulled from the Ohio State Fair website on 4/22/2020:

As you may have heard, Ohio 4-H has cancelled all in-person 4-H activities through July 6. At this time, the Ohio State Fair is still making preparations for its junior livestock show to proceed as planned. All 4-H members may enter their livestock project at the Ohio State Fair as long as they are enrolled in the project at the county level, regardless of whether or not they actually showed the animal; this is the typical process for county fairs that occur after the Ohio State Fair. All county 4-H educators will still be able to verify whether or not a 4-H member has enrolled in that project while teleworking. Entry information for the Ohio State Fair’s livestock competitions will be updated online in mid-May. The deadline to enter is June 20.

4-H and FFA members must make entries online at https://ohiostatefair.com/livestock/

No late entries will be accepted. Additionally, you may review the link above to confirm rules and possession dates for the Ohio State Fair.

Attention Swine Exhibitors:

  • 4-H youth who wish to take a GILT in the Junior Swine Show MUST be enrolled in the Breeding Swine Project. There is no Market Gilt Show at the Ohio State Fair. This project must be submitted by your May 1st enrollment deadline via 4-HOnline.
  • New for 2020: Youth who are taking hogs to the Ohio State Fair must have a parent/guardian certified in Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) by June 20th. One parent can complete this certification for all children in the family (household). The certification is good for 3 years and is required by the packer at the state fair. The certification number is required when making swine entries on June 20th (you will be asked to enter that information). For more information on how to complete this requirement, please contact Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu.

Quality Assurance Options for Ohio State Fair Exhibitors: If your Fairfield County 4-H Club/FFA Chapter did not host Quality Assurance Training at the club level prior to March 12th – here are your Quality Assurance options you can do to meet the QA requirement for the Ohio State Fair. The 45 day rule in which QA must be completed before the start of the exhibition has been waived in 2020 by ODA. I highly suggested QA is completed by the Ohio State Fair deadline (June 20) and will certainly need to be completed when we verify Ohio State Fair livestock entries in early July. Additionally, the Ohio State Fair is Ractopamine (i.e. Paylean) free for market hogs. You will have to select that you understand this when making your Ohio State Fair entry and you will have to provide a signed affidavit at weigh-in at state fair.

  • Option 1: Complete online with YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals). This is the ONLY approved ONLINE Quality Assurance Program for youth in Ohio. For 2020 ONLY, this web-based course has been approved by ODA for 8-18 year olds.
    • Go to: https://yqca.learningrow.lo.
      • 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.
  • Option 2: For those FFA and 4-H Members who plan to enter livestock into the Ohio State Fair and do not want to complete YQCA, please email Leslie Cooksey at cooksey.25@osu.edu to indicate that you need to participate in Quality Assurance for the Ohio State Fair. She will be setting up another virtual option before June 20th. Advisors cannot teach QA through Zoom at this time.

Workforce Prep Day at the Ohio State Fair!

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3 Classes for 2020. Top in each class gets a clock trophy and $250 cash. The Workforce Prep Day at the Ohio State Fair will be Wednesday, July 29th, 2020. Pre-registration is due July 14th.

You do not need to be enrolled in a particular project to participate in Workforce Prep Day – just let Leslie know that you are interested! All current 4-H members can participate! This experience is great for any one who has taken 4-H projects such as Teen Leadership on the Job, Am I Ready for Work, Get in the Act OR participated as a Camp Counselor, Junior Fair Board Member, OR have completed ANY 4-H Leadership Project.

During the State Fair event, those who enter will complete a  “mock interview” for a job – such as a day camp counselor, summer internship, part-time job at a retail store or grocery store. Participants will have to prepare a digital display in advance and discuss their display with the judges.

This is truly a great experience for youth of all ages to start to learn what it takes to demonstrate their workforce skills that they are developing as participants in the 4-H program! Contact Leslie for more information: cooksey.25@osu.edu. Click here for further details about Workforce Prep Day at the 2020 Ohio State Fair.