Licking County 4-H Horse Project Members are encouraged to get involved in a variety of equine teams and events. If you are interested in being a part of one (or more) of the following events, please reach out to Tessa at 4hequineeducation@gmail.com by January 9, 2026 to ensure that you are included on all communications going forward.
You are invited to participate in the annual Ohio State ATI Invitational Dairy Cattle Judging Contest. This year’s contest will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the OARDC Krauss Dairy, located at 2250 Oil City Road, (between Dover Road and Secrest Road), Wooster, Ohio.
With the contest being held at Krauss Dairy, contestants will be divided into 6 rotating groups. Contestants will judge the live animal classes from the animal alleys with the animals being restrained in tie-stalls or walking in a group pen. Contestants will need to wear appropriate clothing to be in close contact with animals. Schools/clubs are expected to provide plastic boots for their contestants. Coaches/advisors may be asked to help with the contest as a ring or group leader.
Registration will be in the Krauss Dairy office and/or breakroom. Only coaches/advisors should come into the Krauss Dairy office/breakroom to register their contestants. There is minimal heat in the facilities at Krauss Dairy – dress appropriately for the weather. Coaches and advisors may want to bring a portable chair as seating will not be provided.
Contest Schedule: 8:15 to 9:15 am Registration at Krauss Dairy (2250 Oil City Road, Wooster, OH)
Parking is available at Krauss Dairy on the north side of the dairy complex around the hay, silage, and equipment storage barns/areas. Students from the ATI Dairy Club will be assisting with parking – please follow their directions.
FFA chapters and 4-H clubs can enter as many individuals on a “team” as desired. The scores for the top three individuals from each “team” will become the official team score.
Entry fees are $10.00/contestant (cash or check) and are due at the time of registration. Make checks payable to: The Ohio State ATI Dairy Club.
Rules for the contest are listed below in the accompanying document. The contest will be scored by Tom Oglesby (Ohio FFA CDE coordinator). The Ohio FFA computerized scan form will be used to score the contest. An example of the form is in this document. Results will be posted at www.judgingcard.com as soon as possible after scoring.
In the event of cancellation, notification will be posted on the Ohio State ATI website: http://ati.osu.edu/
Full details and a map to the facility can be found here: 2026 Ohio State ATI Invitational Dairy Cattle Judging Contest
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Haley Campbell: 330-462-6321 or campbell.2708@osu.edu
You’re invited to participate in this year’s Aquaculture Challenge! The Aquaculture Challenge is a competitive science and business competition hosted by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network and Lake Superior State University (LSSU). It is open to all schools, homeschool groups and individuals, and education non-profits. The challenge has a middle school division (6th – 8th grade) and a high school division (9th-12th grade).
During the challenge teams of students can choose one or more categories to compete in:
Teams can work on the challenge as part of a class or as an after-school activity. Multiple teams can register per school, and teams can also register as part of after school clubs or other academic related organizations. This competition is open to all interested individuals regardless of location (although stipends are only available to those in Great Lakes states).
Teams can submit for awards for each category they compete in plus a cumulative award.
Teams are supported with online resources, training over Zoom, a small team stipend ($150 for those in Great Lakes states), and a liaison (Sea Grant/LSSU) who helps guide the team during the season.
The registration deadline is January 14, 2026, with competition running from late January through early April. Student teams will submit videos showcasing their accomplishments, as well as supporting materials online. The deadline for submissions is April 24, 2026. A virtual awards ceremony will be held on May 7th, 2026.
Registering a team is simple and free: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv_9jEkBq81fBSjxo_ncIQVOIluJr-jwEz2OE33D-Y9jhEFQ/viewform
More Information:
Feel free to share this with others who may be interested.
To learn more about the challenge or get some questions answered, there will be two informal Q&A sessions where interested educators or students can attend to ask questions about the challenge. These Q&A sessions will be over Zoom on the following dates (Zoom links embedded):
Coach Q&A/Information Sessions NEW Schedule. Each session will start with a 10-minute presentation followed by 50 minutes of Q&A time where coaches can pop in to ask questions. Attendance for the full hour is NOT required, and coaches can hop on anytime during the full hour to get questions answered.
1. December 19th, 2025, 12:30pm eastern / 11:30am central, https://msu.zoom.us/j/94522501807?pwd=BEHex5Jaia1tY7bmZ69glPJ9C4Hl7G.1
2. January 8th, 2026, 4pm eastern / 3pm central,
https://msu.zoom.us/j/95360546694?pwd=uAFea9YcZppwiTuBsPjRop0uuhVBdW.1
In Ohio, contact Nicole Wright, Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Ohio Sea Grant: wright.1128@osu.edu, 330-202-3594.
Show off your creativity by designing the next official camp shirt for 4-H Camp Ohio!
Who can enter: Anyone!
Deadline: December 1, 2025
Theme/Guidelines: “Explore, Adventure, Discover” – The design should represent 4-H Camp Ohio’s goal to provide opportunities for exploration, adventures, and discoveries to all who attend.
How to Submit: Email your design to – campohiooffice@gmail.com
Prize: The person with the winning design will get bragging rights and a t-shirt with their design!
Questions: email campohiooffice@gmail.com with questions about the contest
Show off your creativity by designing the next official camp shirt for 4-H Camp Ohio!
Who can enter: Anyone!
Deadline: December 1, 2025
Theme/Guidelines: “Explore, Adventure, Discover” – The design should represent 4-H Camp Ohio’s goal to provide opportunities for exploration, adventures, and discoveries to all who attend.
How to Submit: Email your design to – campohiooffice@gmail.com
Prize: The person with the winning design will get bragging rights and a t-shirt with their design!
Questions: email campohiooffice@gmail.com with questions about the contest
Are you ready to tackle a real-world agricultural issue in your community and pitch your solution on a national stage? The 2025 Fall National 4-H AI Challenge focuses on agriculture issues and is open from now until November 15 for youth ages 13–15 and 16–18. This challenge invites youth to explore local agricultural issues, go on a photo-walk, brainstorm AI-powered solutions, and create short videos to pitch their ideas and solutions. These projects will be judged both at state and national levels! To get started on the project, please visit: https://events.projectboard.world/4HAIinAg
For AI resources, visit the Ohio 4-H Artificial Intelligence website at go.osu.edu/4HAI.
Results from the 2025 Hartford Fair are being posted to the Exhibitor page of the Hartford Fair website. While results for several shows/events are already posted, we will be working over the next few weeks to get the rest of the results posted there, so if you don’t see a show posted just yet, check back in a few weeks!
Junior fair exhibitors! Please remember that there are livestock skillathon contests throughout the week at the fair. All junior fair exhibitors are encouraged to participate. You do not need to show a specific species to participate in that species skillathon; they are open to all! The skillathon competitions are a great way to show your knowledge! See the full schedule of skillathon competitions below or click HERE.
There will be several contests throughout the week at the Hartford Fair that involve baking/cooking that are open to all.
Sunday, August 3rd:
Monday, August 4th:
Wednesday, August 6th:
Thursday, August 7th:
Junior fair exhibitors! Please remember that there are livestock skillathon contests throughout the week at the fair. All junior fair exhibitors are encouraged to participate. You do not need to show a specific species to participate in that species skillathon; they are open to all! The skillathon competitions are a great way to show your knowledge! See the full schedule of skillathon competitions below or click HERE.
SPECIAL NOTE: Please make note that the Dairy Feeder Skillathon will take place ahead of the Hartford Fair. Dairy Feeder exhibitors received an email earlier with details.