Beef

2020 Hartford Fair Steer Weigh-in & Ohio State Fair DNA Samples

by

All steers and heifers (including Delaware, Knox & Licking Counties) that may be exhibited during the 2020 Hartford Junior Fair Market Steer & Heifer show must be marked by ear tag and tattoo on SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2020, at the Hartford fairgrounds (Grubb Arena – West End) between 8 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (NOTE: We are no longer there until noon). Up to four (4) steers or heifers can be tagged for the Hartford Fair per exhibitor.

Tagging fee is $1.00 per tagged animal. Exhibitors must complete a registration card for each animal, which requires the exhibitor’s signature. If the exhibitor will be unable to attend weigh-in procedures, please stop by the Licking County Extension Office and pick up the registration card(s) to be signed by exhibitor in advance.

OSF Junior Fair Market Steer / Heifer DNA samples will NOT be collected during Hartford Fair Steer / Heifer Weigh-In. OSF DNA samples must be submitted by the exhibitor directly to the OSF by no later than January 15th. For additional information, contact Lisa McCutcheon at mccutcheon.46@osu.edu. DNA sample packets are available by contacting the Ohio State Fair directly, or your local Extension office may have some available. See attachment for additional details.

Questions? Give us a call at 740-670-5315. In case of inclement weather conditions, listen to WCLT-AM, WHTH-AM, or visit www.licking.osu.edu for an announcement. Announcement will also be made on the Hartford Fair and Licking County 4-H Facebook pages. Make-up date, if necessary, will be Saturday, January 25, 2020.

Dean’s Charity Steer Show

by

On July 30, 2019, Cathann A. Kress, Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, along with Ohio Cattlemen’s Association and Telhio Credit Union, will host the inaugural Dean’s Charity Steer Show benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (RMHC). This event brings together our community to celebrate agriculture and support children and their families that rely on RMHC during difficult times. The show and sale will feature local celebrity exhibitors partnered with a 4-H member and their steer. All funds raised will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Ohio. Make a donation today at give.osu.edu/deanscharitysteershow.

Join us at the Ohio State Fair in the Voinovich Livestock & Trade Center on July 30. The event starts at 2:00, but be sure to arrive by 1:30 to get a good seat!

Awards will include best steer, showmanship, and people’s choice. During the event, there will be a “sale” following the same procedures as a typical livestock sale, but without the actual transfer of livestock. Instead, all bids and sale proceeds will be donated to the RMHC.

The mission of RMHC is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Located across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, the Ronald McDonald House serves as a home-away-from-home for families while a child is hospitalized. More than 4,500 families use the facility each year with 82,000 nights of lodging provided. It is also the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world with 137 guest rooms and 120,000 square feet of kitchens, dining areas, play rooms, laundry facilities, a meditation room, exercise room, and informal gathering areas.

Can you imagine what it’s like for a family traveling for childhood medical care? Or if you had to travel for care for your child for two or nine years? RMHC helps miracles thrive. To find out more click on the previous links or visit rmhc-centralohio.org.

Dean's Charity Steer Show

Community Service Opportunities at the Ohio State Fair

by

Ohio Cattlemen’s Association is looking for enthusiastic volunteers interested in a community service or team building project during the 2019 Ohio State Fair! Volunteer opportunities are available at the Steak Barn or Taste of Ohio Café, from Monday, July 22 through Sunday, August 4. Each volunteer group will receive a complimentary meal, Ohio State Fair admission and a Gate 10 parking pass.

Make a day at the fair with your 4-H Club, FFA Chapter or company team, while also working with producers and industry leaders to promote the beef industry and enjoying all that the state fair has to offer!

Interested? Contact our office at 614-873-6736 or email Stephanie to learn more or sign your group up today! You can view available shifts here. Please note the 2 tabs, one for the Steak Barn which requires 4 volunteers per shift and the Taste of Ohio Cafe tab, which requires 6 volunteers per shift.

Final Quality Assurance and Horse Safety & Ethics Training!

by

The final Licking County Quality Assurance Training and Horse Safety & Ethics Program will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at Licking Valley High School. The program will begin at 6:30pm. If you have not completed your Quality Assurance Training Requirement, this will be your last option to do so in Licking County. There are additional options outside of Licking County that meet the June 1st deadline. If you are not able to come to the May 23rd Quality Assurance, please call our office at 740-670-5315 for out of county options.

Guidelines and a listing of the projects that require completion of a Quality Assurance Training can be found here.

Members taking a horse project for the first year must attend a Horse Safety & Ethics program to be eligible to show. The May 23rd Horse Safety & Ethics program listed above is the final option that meets those requirements for 2019.

If your child is no longer taking a livestock or horse project, please email Adrienne at anderson.1410@osu.edu to have the project(s) removed from the member’s enrollment.

If you need to have your picture taken for the Hartford Fair Photo IDs, representatives from the fair will be taking photos from 5:00-6:30pm. They will be starting earlier than normal in order to ensure they are able to get everyone’s picture taken before the program starts. Please come early enough to get your picture taken before the program starts.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THOSE WHO DON’T COMPLETE THE QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS BY JUNE 1 EACH YEAR.

Ohio State Fair – Additional Beef Division

by

The Beef Department has added an Crossbred Breeding Heifer Division, and will show in the 2nd session.

Arrival – Friday, July 26

Show – Sunday, July 28

Released – Sunday, July 28

These animals will be eligible for the Overall Top 5 Heifers during the Final Drive on Saturday, August 3 at the state fair.

Crossbred breeding heifers must be owned by May 1 and will be verified by their 15 digit 840 RFID tag number and DNA submission to the Ohio State Fair by May 1, 2019.   Must be born after January 1, 2018, and make entries into the state fair by June 1.

DNA kits may be requested by email only from Stacey French, s.french@expo.ohio.gov  and must be submitted to Stacey French, Agriculture Department –  Crossbred Heifer DNA, 717 East 17th Avenue, Columbus OH  43211, by May 1.

If anyone wants to pick up and/or drop off DNA kit, contact Stacey French by email first, stating request, and when they want to come and pick up and/or drop off.

Quality Assurance and Horse Safety & Ethics Programs Start This Week!

by

The first of several Quality Assurance and Horse Safety & Ethics training opportunities will begin this week. If your youth are planning to enroll in a livestock project or a horse project, please make plans to attend one of these sessions. A full list of guidelines and dates can be found here.

Members enrolled in the following projects MUST attend a Quality Assurance Training prior to June 1, 2019 to be eligible to show at the Hartford and Ohio State Fairs.

BEEF: Market Steer, Market Heifer, Beef Breeding, Beef Feeder Calf, Dairy Market Steers, Steer Pool

DAIRY: Dairy Cows, Dairy Heifers

GOATS: Angora Goats, Pygmy Goats, Dairy Goats, Market Goats, Pack Goats

POULTRY: Meat Poultry, Breeding Poultry, Fancy Poultry

RABBITS: Breeding Rabbits, Market Rabbits (encouraged for Pet Rabbit Projects)

SHEEP: Market Lamb, Breeding Sheep

SWINE: Market Hog

 

Members taking an EQUINE project for the first time in 2019 must attend a Horse Safety & Ethics Training. A parent is required to attend with the member.

 

Licking County 4-H/FFA Sessions will be held as follows…

March 13th (Wednesday) – OSU-N/COTC – Founder’s Hall (6:30 p.m.)

April 9th (Tuesday) – Northridge High School (6:30 p.m.)

April 25th (Thursday) – Johnstown High School (6:30 p.m.)

May 6th (Monday) – Utica High School (6:30 p.m.)

May 11th (Saturday) – OSU-N/COTC – Founder’s Hall (6:30 p.m.)

May 23rd (Thursday) – Licking Valley High School (6:30 p.m.)

 

Additional Licking County Opportunities…

April (TBA) (Saturday) – Rabbit & Poultry QA – Location TBA – (following Rabbit & Poultry Fun Show)

 

Other Approved Activities and Training Programs…

Knox County Quality Assurance Training Programs (Contact #740.397.0401 for program details) March 7 (East Knox H.S.) / April 4 (Centerburg H.S.) / April 15 (Fredericktown H.S.) / May 9 (Mt. Vernon H.S.) / May 16 (Danville H.S.) – all programs take place 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

 

Delaware County Quality Assurance Training Program (Contact #740.833.2030 for program details) April 11 (6:30 p.m. Big Walnut H.S.) / April 14 – Rabbit Focus (2p.m. Merchant Bldg. Delaware Fairgrounds) / May 5 – Poultry Focus (2 p.m. Merchant Bldg. Delaware Fairgrounds) / May 8 (6:30p.m. Buckeye Valley H. S.) / June 1 – Sheep & Goat Focus (10 a.m. Pig /Lamb Barn Delaware Fairgrounds)

*Please Note: Delaware is also offering session on June 8 – this one does NOT meet Hartford QA deadline of June 1st.

 

Ohio Beef Expo – Beef Quality Assurance Training – March 15 (Friday) – Ohio Expo Center

Showring Excellence Seminar – April 13 (Saturday 9am – 4pm) – Hartford Fairgrounds

 

2019 Granville Milling Co. Showring Excellence Seminar

by

Granville Milling Company will again be hosting their Showring Excellence Seminar at the Hartford Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 13, 2019. The program will run from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The day includes presentations on a variety of livestock subjects from experts from across the country, Quality Assurance training, live demos, a delicious lunch and door prizes! This opportunity is free to attendees, but you must RSVP by calling 740.587.0221 or visiting the Granville Milling Company website. For more information and a full list of presenters, click here. We hope you will take advantage of the great opportunity!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: 2019 Steer/Heifer Weigh-in Update

by

Market Steer / Heifer Weigh-In will be held, as scheduled, on Saturday, January 19th at the Hartford Fairgrounds. HOWEVER, weigh-in will get underway at 8:00 a.m. (rather than 9:00 a.m.) in hopes of getting through the calves more quickly, and having everyone headed home prior to the bulk of the snow arriving. While we realize that the snow is scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m. (by current forecasts), the likelihood of ice accumulations in the morning have been greatly downgraded.

Should the storm system change drastically prior to 7:00 a.m. in the morning, making it necessary to postpone the weigh-in, announcement will be made on the Hartford Fair Facebook page, Hartford Fair website calendar, and the Licking County 4-H Program Facebook page. These media options have been chosen due to the fact that the announcement can be posted quickly and reach many people… Keep in mind that if it were to become necessary to postpone, weigh-in would be held on Saturday, January 26th. Realizing that this conflicts with some exhibitors participating in an OCA BEST show, we would make arrangements to weigh those BEST steers at a designated alternative date/time. We hope that this won’t be needed…

Again, we’re moving ahead with plans for tomorrow, but will start an hour earlier…

Be safe and travel carefully as you are out an about this weekend!