4-H

REMINDER: Goat Workshop on July 16th

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The Goat Workshop will take place in Baird Arena (Sheep Barn) at the Hartford Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 6:00pm. Topics for the workshop will include hands-on instruction in showmanship, grooming, shaving, and hoof trimming.

Before attending, please be sure you and your family follow the Ohio 4-H Guidelines for In-person Events:

  • If you (or any member of your household) aren’t feeling well, are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or have been exposed to someone with the virus or symptoms, please stay home.
  • Please practice physical distancing.
  • Masks are encouraged at all times, but are expected to be worn when physical distancing is not an option.
  • Please wash hands/use hand sanitizer often.

 

Partial Reopening of Licking County OSU Extension Office

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The Licking County office of OSU Extension will be reopening on Monday, July 13, 2020 with limited hours by appointment only.

The hours will be as follows: Monday and Thursday from 8:30am – 4:30pm.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling the office at 740-670-5315 or emailing Lisa McCutcheon, mccutcheon.46osu.edu, and/or Adrienne Anderson, anderson.1410@osu.edu, for 4-H Youth Development; Dean Kreager, kreager.5@osu.edu, for Agriculture and Natural Resources; Shari Gallup, gallup.1@osu.edu, for Family and Consumer Sciences; Lori Swihart, swihart.33@osu.edu, for Master Gardener Volunteers; Michelle Duffy, duffy.383@osu.edu, for SNAP Ed, and Lisa House, house.238@osu.edu, for all other appointments.

When Extension employees are not in the county office, they will continue to telework. We are following strict guidelines to remain safe, and to keep our clientele safe as well. All service sector requirements for general office environments from the Ohio Department of Health will be strictly adhered to in each office.

While our office will be open during the times listed above, we still encourage you to only visit the office if your need cannot be handled via phone, email or Zoom. If you must come into the office, we ask that you please adhere to the following guidelines:

  • If you or anyone in your family has been ill or has shown symptoms or if you have been in contact with someone who has been ill, please DO NOT come into the office. We will be happy to reschedule your appointment for a later date or set up a time to call or Zoom with you or make other arrangements to meet your needs.
  • If you need to meet with us in person, you must schedule an appointment. While we will be open two days a week, we will have limited staff in the office during that time so Lisa and I will not be in the office during all open hours. Please schedule with us so that we know we will be available to you when you arrive.
  • If meeting with us or anyone in the office, you MUST wear a mask. This is Ohio State University policy and we will follow it. If you are unable to wear a mask, we would be happy to schedule a time to chat with you via phone or Zoom.
  • Please come by yourself if possible or with as few family members as possible. We ask that only one person/family be at the counter at one time. If you see someone is already at the counter, please wait on the marked spots in the hallway until that person/group has left and then you may come up to the counter.
  • Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before entering the office.
  • If you need to pick up an item or purchase books, please call the office to request the items/books ahead of time so that we can have everything ready for when you arrive. This will help reduce your wait time in the office.  If you are purchasing items, exact change or a check is preferred. We can give you your total cost for your purchase when you call in your order.

 

 

REMINDER: Skillathon Registration Due July 15th

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If you plan to compete in the livestock skillathons for 2020, please remember to register for the state level skillathons by Wednesday, July 15th! There will be no skillathon competitions offered at the Hartford Fair for 2020, so competing in the virtual, state-wide livestock skillathons is your only option for this year.

While Skillathon stations will not be offered in person during the Hartford Fair this year, we ask that you register for the State Skillathons – as we will use those contest scores to recognize Hartford Fair exhibitors during the fair! All youth who intend to complete a skillathon must register online by July 15th, with species skillathons being held on the designated dates / times listed below (all will be completed prior to the Hartford Fair)…

Skillathon Dates (pre-registration required by July 15th):

  • Horse Skillathon:               Thursday, 7/23/2020                      10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Goat Skillathon:                 Friday, 7/24/2020                            10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Dairy Skillathon:                Saturday, 7/25/2020                       10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Sheep Skillathon:              Wednesday, 7/29/2020                 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Dog Skillathon:                  Monday, 8/3/2020                          10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Poultry Skillathon:            Tuesday, 8/4/2020                          10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Swine Skillathon:               Wednesday, 8/5/2020                   10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Beef Skillathon:                 Thursday, 8/6/2020                        10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Rabbit Skillathon:              Friday, 8/7/2020                               10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

How to Register:

  • Registration is due by JULY 15, 2020.
  • Please register by visiting: www.go.osu.edu/skillathonregistration
  • Please answer all of the survey prompts.
  • All exhibitors with need an email address specific to that exhibitor that can be used as your log-in credential (this is also where the first-time registration will be).
    • For example, a family with 3 children participating must have a unique email address for each child.
    • School email addresses are discouraged, as we have found that some school email systems block external emails generated by the Scarlet site.
    • If the child completed the 2020 QA Test-Out on Scarlet in May, please feel free to use their same email address, as they will already have an account…
  • If you have any questions, please contact 4hanimalscience@osu.edu.

Skillathon Rules:

  • All Skillathons are open to any Ohio 4-H member, age 8 and in the 3rd grade, or 9 years old and older regardless of grade level, to age 18 as of January 1, 2020, and FFA members.
  • You do not have to exhibit a particular species to participate in that species Skillathon.
  • Any specific rules for an individual species will be outlined on the testing site.
  • Skillathons will be delivered through Scarlet, a university-approved distance learning site. You must have access to a mobile device or computer with ability to access the internet.
  • Even though the Skillathons are online this year, each Skillathon must be taken by the youth only without assistance from family or friends.
  • There will be 4 stations in each Skillathon that will make up 4 separate, timed modules. Each station will have a time limit (typically 5 minutes per station).
  • If your child requires any testing accommodations, please contact us in advance at 4hanimalscience@osu.edu and we will work with you to make accommodation arrangements.
  • Results will be posted for each age category, age division, and overall after the Skillathon is completed. Participants will receive an email with a link to view the results.

2020 Virtual Still Project Judging Guidelines

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we will be holding our still project judging (foods, clothing, and special interest) through a virtual platform called Flipgrid. Flipgrid allows individuals to record video presentations which can then be viewed and evaluated by our judges. While this will not allow the back-and-forth interaction between the judges and members that we would normally have, we think this will be a great opportunity to allow judging to happen while keeping our members, volunteers, and judges healthy and safe. All videos must be uploaded between July 12-19 to be eligible for awards.

Please read through all of the guidelines and instructions as it pertains to your project. Please know that you are not limited to what is listed in the guidelines. While there are a few project area specific things that should be included, you are not limited to just those items/topics. We encourage you to be creative in how you present your project and share what you have learned.

The guidelines for the judging process can be found on the website here. These documents are listed on both the Member Resources & Special Interest Project Information and What’s New pages. Please review them and reach out to me with questions or concerns. You can access your project’s grid by clicking on the link next to your project’s name in the Flipgrid Project List that is attached or can be found on the website here. Once you reach the correct grid (project area), you will be able to select your project from the drop-down “topic” menu. Please note: No projects will be visible until July 12th. You can access the grid for your project now, but will be unable to access the project topic until the system opens on July 12th. The sample grid (flipgrid.com/licking4hsample) is open now for you to view. Some of our teen leaders will be recording sample videos over the next few days so please check back to view those videos.

Videos will be hidden until judging time and will NOT be available to the public. Members can share their own video by sharing the unique URL for their video directly with whoever they wish to see it. Once the judging process is completed, if members would like their video to be made public, I can do so at their request.

Our judges will be reviewing the project videos once the system closes on July 19th. Besides assigning a grade to each project, judges will also be able to select Superior, Honorable Mention, and State Fair Representative award winners.  Once the judging process is completed, we will post the results to the website as well as email the results to all families. Advisors can pick up their club’s ribbons at the Hartford Fair during booth construction times.

Should a member not wish to participate in our virtual project judging, but would like to have their project judged for completion, they may work with their advisor to set up a time for the advisor to review their project work. The advisor can award them a grade for their project, but they would not be eligible for any awards beyond that grade. Advisors must submit the member grade(s) to me by July 27th in order for those grades to be recognized at the fair. Any project entered at the fair not receiving a grade will be eligible for a participation ribbon and premium only.

As with any new process, there are likely to be some bumps along the way. Please reach out to me as you have questions or concerns or as you need assistance. As always, should there be a need for accommodation please just reach out to Lisa and me so that we can work through what would work best for your 4-H member. We want to ensure that anyone who wants to participate in this opportunity has the ability to do so.

It’s time to get signed up for Skillathon!

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While Skillathon stations will not be offered in person during the Hartford Fair this year, we ask that you register for the State Skillathons – as we will use those contest scores to recognize Hartford Fair exhibitors during the fair! All youth who intend to complete a skillathon must register online by July 15th, with species skillathons being held on the designated dates / times listed below (all will be completed prior to the Hartford Fair)…

Skillathon Dates (pre-registration required by July 15th):

  • Horse Skillathon:               Thursday, 7/23/2020                      10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Goat Skillathon:                 Friday, 7/24/2020                            10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Dairy Skillathon:                Saturday, 7/25/2020                       10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Sheep Skillathon:              Wednesday, 7/29/2020                 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Dog Skillathon:                  Monday, 8/3/2020                          10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Poultry Skillathon:            Tuesday, 8/4/2020                          10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Swine Skillathon:               Wednesday, 8/5/2020                   10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Beef Skillathon:                 Thursday, 8/6/2020                        10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Rabbit Skillathon:              Friday, 8/7/2020                               10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

How to Register:

  • Registration is due by JULY 15, 2020.
  • Please register by visiting: www.go.osu.edu/skillathonregistration
  • Please answer all of the survey prompts.
  • All exhibitors with need an email address specific to that exhibitor that can be used as your log-in credential (this is also where the first-time registration will be).
    • For example, a family with 3 children participating must have a unique email address for each child.
    • School email addresses are discouraged, as we have found that some school email systems block external emails generated by the Scarlet site.
    • If the child completed the 2020 QA Test-Out on Scarlet in May, please feel free to use their same email address, as they will already have an account…
  • If you have any questions, please contact 4hanimalscience@osu.edu.

Skillathon Rules:

  • All Skillathons are open to any Ohio 4-H member, age 8 and in the 3rd grade, or 9 years old and older regardless of grade level, to age 18 as of January 1, 2020, and FFA members.
  • You do not have to exhibit a particular species to participate in that species Skillathon.
  • Any specific rules for an individual species will be outlined on the testing site.
  • Skillathons will be delivered through Scarlet, a university-approved distance learning site. You must have access to a mobile device or computer with ability to access the internet.
  • Even though the Skillathons are online this year, each Skillathon must be taken by the youth only without assistance from family or friends.
  • There will be 4 stations in each Skillathon that will make up 4 separate, timed modules. Each station will have a time limit (typically 5 minutes per station).
  • If your child requires any testing accommodations, please contact us in advance at 4hanimalscience@osu.edu and we will work with you to make accommodation arrangements.
  • Results will be posted for each age category, age division, and overall after the Skillathon is completed. Participants will receive an email with a link to view the results.

Plans are incomplete at this time regarding whether or not livestock project books will be collected and graded, or project interviews held, during the Hartford Fair – and it may indeed vary by species. Additional details will be shared once more information is known.

Rabbit and Poultry Drive-thru Registration at Gate D1 and the Beef Barn

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Date: July 11, 2020

Time: 8:00am -3:00pm on a first come first serve basis.

Please DO NOT line up prior to 7:30 AM.

Guidelines:

  1. Enter the Fairgrounds from Croton Road at Gate D.
  2. Traffic will be one way from the Gate D parking lot entering the fairgrounds through Gate D1.
  3. Rabbit registration/tattooing and Poultry Banding will be drive-thru at Gate D1 and Beef Barn driveways.
  4. Please follow signage to keep traffic flow traveling and stay in your vehicle. Select and follow the line to your designated area.
  5. We will not have any walk-up tattoo/banding or registration areas.
  6. Only the exhibitor and up to two assistants allowed out of the vehicle to help with animals. Everyone else please stay in the vehicle.
  7. Face coverings (masks or shields) are strongly encouraged, but not required.
  8. Please use hand sanitizers prior to working with volunteers assisting with banding/registration.
  9. When you are done, please reload your animals and exit the area.
  10. If you must exit your vehicle for any reason, please practice social distancing as appropriate.

Poultry Drive thru Banding and Registration:

  • Poultry Banding Cost is $1.00 per entry, maximum cost of $6.00. CASH ONLY!
  • Poultry exhibitors and assistants will remain in their vehicles until it is their turn.
  • Enter at Gate D1 traveling one way into the fairgrounds on the driveway to line up. Please stay in line!
  • Each vehicle will be assigned a number to be placed on the windshield.
  • A bander and clerk will come to the vehicles in numeric order to record and band birds.
  • Only the exhibitor and 2 assistants out of the vehicle at time of banding.
  • Once your birds have been banded and recorded, the clerk will take payment to the cashier. Please have exact change. No cards accepted!
  • Once payment transaction complete please exit the line in a one way fashion.

  Drive thru Rabbit Registration and Tattooing:

  • Enter at Gate D1, when entering the Beef Barn select the proper drive-thru lane based on the information below:
    • Registration Only (for exhibitors with ALL rabbits already tattooed)
      • Example: All your rabbits have a tattoo in the left ear: Select Registration Only line.
      • Even if the rabbit has a tattoo and previously exhibited at The Hartford Fair, you are still required to register the rabbit each year.
    • Needs Tattooed (for exhibitors with ANY rabbits that need tattooed)
      • Example: You have 1 rabbit already tattooed and 1 rabbit that is not, select the Needs Tattooed line.
      • Example: None of my rabbits have been tattooed, select the Needs Tattooed line.
      • All Market Rabbits to be tattooed will be assigned a tattoo.
      • Breeding rabbits that need tattooed, please be prepared with your tattoo info.
      • Tattoos are $1.00 per rabbit, CASH ONLY!
    • Only the exhibitor and 2 assistants to be out of the vehicle when handling rabbits.
    • Exhibitors bring your completed rabbit registration form to keep transactions moving. Rabbit Registration Form can  be found here.
      • If you forget your registration form we will have some available day of registration.
    • Once your rabbits have been tattooed, the clerk will take payment to the cashier. Please have exact change. No cards accepted!
    • Once payment transaction or registration is complete please exit the line in a one way fashion through the fairgrounds.

Pre-Fair Updates and Reminders:

Buyer Thank You Signs 2020 Guidelines:

  • Buyer Thank You Signs are permitted to be constructed on a half poster board sheet (14”X 22”).
  • No wooden, metal, vinyl, or full poster board size signs permitted to be hung in the barn.
  • No club decorations permitted in the barn.
  • Exhibitors will turn in Buyer Thank You Signs to the Fair Board during the show (Poultry on Sunday or Rabbits on Monday).
  • The Fair Board will hang ALL signs after the show and dispose of signs after the fair. Buyer Thank You Signs will NOT be returned to the exhibitors.

Reminders:

  • No stalling for 2020. All shows are haul-in for rabbits and poultry.
  • There will NOT be cages available on day of show for use.
  • Market exhibitors will take their project home after the show.

There will NOT be a packer truck this year for rabbits or poultry.

Hartford Fair Livestock Sale Update

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WHEN WILL SALES BE HELD…

Junior Fair Livestock Sales will be held on their traditional day, and at their traditional times. Hog Sale will begin on Thursday, August 13th at 11:30 a.m.. The Large Animal Sale (Dairy Feeder | Gallon of Milk | Steer Pool | Market Steer & Heifer | Market Lamb) will be held on Saturday, August 15th at 11:00 a.m. in Grubb Arena, and the Small Animal Sale (Rabbit | Goat | Poultry) will begin on Saturday, August 15th at 12:00 p.m.

WHAT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT…

What will be most noticeably different is that the market animals will not be present in the sale ring. Rather, the member will be in the sale ring during the sale, and all market livestock will already have left the grounds. The member is welcome to hold their awards, a photo of their animal, or any other item to symbolize their project work.

THANKING BUYERS…

Exhibitors will not be permitted to have physical contact with their buyers, for the safety of both parties, and are encouraged to present any items of appreciation following the fair. We would encourage members to remember that physical distancing will be important during the sale process. Asking that exhibitors not walk through the crowd to approach their buyer will cut down on a great deal of interactions, and help to ensure the well-being of all involved. Sale placards will be presented to buyers, with exhibitor / animal photos being taken at a designated place and time for each department.

SALE PLACARDS…

The traditional sale placard, complete with photo of the exhibitor, will still be given to buyers. Exhibitor photos will be taken ahead of the sale, at times designated by the species. In some cases it may be while waiting in line to sell, in others the photo may be taken at weigh-in. Additional details will be coming soon!

PREMIUM SALE…

When the member goes through the sale, the amount bid by the buyer is considered to be the premium – that’s not different from previous years, however… What will be different is that the buyer does not have the ability to purchase the animal, nor to send it to a processor for harvest. The animals will already have either gone home with the exhibitor, or been sent to the designated packer. Additional “bidders” will also have the ability to “add-on” to your premium (just as in years past). The total premium received for an exhibitor will be mailed to the exhibitor, in the form of a check, approximately 30 days following the fair. That check will come from the Fair Office.

ANIMAL OPTIONS…

All market animal exhibitors will have the option to take their animals home following exhibition this year – only in 2020! Once home, the member has the option to send the market animal to harvest, sell the animal, or retain that animal for future breeding purposes. Knowing that some members will not want to take their animals home, many departments will have the opportunity for the exhibitor to place their animal on a “packer” truck. In this case, the exhibitor is selling their animal at market price, with the price being offered to be determined much closer to the fair (or during the fair). This amount would be paid to each exhibitor, in addition to their premium from the sale. This packer option will be offered to all market species, other than rabbits and poultry. Should the exhibitor chose to sell their animal to the packer, they are still eligible to go through the sale and receive their respective premium.

HOW TO CONSIGN YOUR ANIMAL TO THE PACKER…

Should you wish to sell your animal to the packer prior to leaving the fairgrounds, please know that you will need to complete an additional form. Details about this sale option will be explained during the respective barn meetings. It will be the exhibitor’s responsibility to complete the form, and have the animal at the designated collection point on time. Once the packer truck has collected animals from the grounds, the only option to exhibitors will be to take their animals home upon release from the grounds.

SALE CHECKS…

Sale checks will be mailed from the Fair Office 30 days following the sale, as we need to allow time for the buyers to make payment. Every effort will be made to send one check, combining both the premium and packer payment, in the case that the exhibitor consigned an animal to the packer. If not possible to combine, the exhibitor will simply receive two separate checks.

Ohio 4-H Project Showcase

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This summer we invite 4-H members in good standing to submit a photo of themselves with their 4-H project for display in an online project showcase. You’ll be asked to share what you liked about the project and one new thing you learned. Parents will also need to sign their approval for youth to participate.

Here’s more:

  • Select your favorite project – one per person
  • Send a great photo – at least 2 MB
  • Photos will be display after September 8 at ohio4h.org

Submit your photos by August 15 at go.osu.edu/4H2020Showcase. Questions? Contact Sarah Longo at longo.79@osu.edu.

REMINDER: Quality Assurance Deadline is July 1st

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ALL youth planning to show livestock at the 2020 Hartford Independent Fair must complete a Quality Assurance Training. This requirement must be met by 11:59 p.m. on July 1st in order for that member to exhibit livestock at the 2020 Hartford Fair. No exceptions will be made…

If you received an email from Lisa McCutcheon Thursday evening saying we don’t have record of a member of your family not completing their QA requirement, here’s what you need to do:

  • If the 4-H member has DROPPED YOUR LIVESTOCK PROJECT, please just let us know and we will remove it from their enrollment record – and that will take them off the list to attend a QA training.
  • If you ALREADY COMPLETED A TRAINING, and our records are incorrect, please reach out to Lisa (mccutcheon.46@osu.edu) so that we can make that correction. Simply provide the date and format in which you completed training, and we will work to verify that attendance.
  • If you STILL NEED TO ATTEND a Livestock Quality Assurance training, you need to sign up for a training…
    • You have just ONE OPTION, until July 1st at 11:59 p.m.:
    • YQCA National Training ($12 per person). You must follow the instructions posted online at https://licking.osu.edu/sites/licking/files/imce/Program_Pages/4H/QualityAssurance/Getting%20Your%20YQCA%20Online%20Certification.pdf, complete payment, and then they will grant you access to the training modules and exam. This training can be completed any time of day, until July 1st at 11:59 p.m.  Once complete, please forward to Lisa (mccutcheon.46@osu.edu) a copy of your certificate.
    • A Piece of Advice: The training and exam must be completed prior to 11:59 p.m. on July 1st, not just be underway. When your training is complete, your certificate is date and time- stamped in the system… Please don’t wait until the last minute to attempt this training – it takes approximately an hour to complete the training, and the payment process takes time in advance of you being granted access to start the training.

Should you have any questions, PLEASE be sure to ask! We want to help you, we want to make sure that you attend a QA training, we want to make sure that you are eligible to show at the Hartford Fair… But when it comes down to it, you are responsible for reading this information and completing a training. We will do our best to assist you in every other way!

2020 Hartford Fair Schedule

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The 2020 Hartford Fair livestock schedule has been posted here. Please note that the schedule is being updated and changed as needed. Please check the date in the lower right-hand corner of the page to ensure you are looking at the most up-to-date calendar.