Hartford Fair

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.

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.

Hartford Fair Entries Due June 27th!

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Hartford Fair entries are due by 5:00pm on SATURDAY, JUNE 27th!!!

To start, you will want to visit the Hartford Fair website: www.hartfordfair.org.

Once on the website, please use the “FORMS” tab for find all the materials that you need for entries. You will find several items there that will be of importance…

  • 2020 Junior Fair Entry Forms: Please be aware that there are different entry form for different projects…
    • Junior Fair NON-MARKET LIVESTOCK Entry: Dairy, Breeding Beef, Breeding Sheep, Non-Market Goats, Horse & Pony, Dog, Non-Market Poultry, Non-Market Rabbits, and Llama/Alpaca.
    • Junior Fair MARKET LIVERSTOCK Entry: Market Beef, Dairy Feeder, Steer Pool, Market Hog, Market Lamb, Market Goat, Meat Poultry and Meat Rabbits.
    • Junior Fair EQUINE Entry: Entry to specify classes, must also be accompanied by a NON-MARKET LIVESTOCK Entry form. A separate form must be submitted for each horse / pony.
    • Junior Fair STILL PROJECT Entry: This is used for any non-livestock 4-H entry (clothing, foods, and special interest projects) that will be on display within the 4-H Center throughout the fair. (Note: Also used for Scout, FFA and Industrial Arts projects.) 4-H members are encouraged to speak with their club advisor when completing this form, to determine if their club is doing a booth – or the entry will be as an individual.
    • Junior Fair BOOTH Entry: This form is used by 4-H Club Advisors who wish to have a Club Booth in the 4-H Center during the fair.
  • 2020 Junior Fair Entry Information (under header 2020 Entry Purposes ONLY)…
    • This is the Junior Fair section of the Premium Book, with scheduling details removed. This will have all the information needed (department, class, lot, etc.) in order to complete entry forms for Junior Fair entries.
  • If you are planning to submit Open Class Entries…
    • Please realize that the Open Class Livestock Form, and 2020 Open Class Entry Information (Premium Book materials, with scheduling details removed), are also posted on the Hartford Fair FORMS page. Open class entries are also due June 27th.

SPECIAL NOTES:

  • Please be sure that entry forms are COMPLETE and ACCURATE – including all SIGNATURES.
  • You are encouraged to KEEP A COPY for your own records.
  • Complete a separate form for EACH DEPARTMENT – no entry form can have more than one department’s entries listed… Think of this way: when the forms are processed, they are separated in to stacks, by DEPARTMENT. If you have Market Steer and Dairy Feeder entries, they use the same document, but they must be submitted on two different copies of the form – as they will be in two different stacks for processing. With that said, if you have four Dairy Feeders to enter, they can all be on the same form, as they are all in the same department.
  • Sometime around July 10th, the Fair Office will distribute by mail a VERIFICATION FORM to each individual submitting an entry. Be watching for that verification, and check over it carefully. You will have until July 18th to make corrections. If you don’t receive the verification form by July 15th, be sure to reach out to the Fair Office to ask for details – as it could have been lost in the mail, or there has been a mistake in your address.
  • Between June 28th and July 18th, late entries can be submitted, or changes in entries can be made. There is a $10 charge for late entries, per entry, but it provides you with option in case you forget something…
  • If your address has changed since 4-H enrollment in the spring, please contact Adrienne Anderson (anderson.1410@osu.edu) with changes… The Fair Office uses the address in your official enrollment file for verification forms and fair checks, and will not make address changes for you – that must be done through contacting Adrienne.

LAST CHANCE: Quality Assurance Training Deadline

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Members who we do not have record of completing Quality Assurance as of 6/19/2020 received the following information via email but we wanted to list it here as a reminder as well:

Last chance to complete your Quality Assurance requirement to show livestock at the Hartford Independent Fair! 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…

Here’s what you need to do:

  • If you the 4-H member has DROPPED THE 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 me 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 TWO OPTIONS, until July 1st at 11:59 p.m.:
      • OPTION #1: Licking County QA Training offered via Zoom (FREE!) You can sign up for a training online at https://go.osu.edu/2020lickingqasignup, but you must sign up ASAP, as there are very few spots remaining for the FIVE SESSIONS to be offered next week. Please remember that if a session does not appear when you enter the registration survey, they have since filled and met capacity (40 registrations per session). Once sessions have been filled / held ADDITIONAL SESSIONS (make-up sessions) WILL NOT BE OFFERED. We have offered NINETEEN sessions, and that is ample to choose from… If you are unable to attend one of the Licking County sessions, taking the YQCA course will become your only option.
        • Side note: You do not need to attend a session that corresponds with your project. At this point, you may need to choose a session simply because it fits your schedule…
      • OPTION #2: 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.
        • A Piece of Advice: The training and exam must be completed prior to 11:59 p.m., not just be underway. When your training is complete, your certificate is timestamped 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 attending a training. We will do our best to assist you in every other way!

REMINDER: Families Please Sign Up for a Quality Assurance Session

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If you have youth taking livestock to the Hartford Fair and you have not yet met the Quality Assurance requirement for this year, please make sure you’ve registered for one of the eleven remaining Quality Assurance trainings. ALL QUALITY ASSURANCE TRAININGS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JULY 1ST IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO SHOW AT THE HARTFORD FAIR!

Please note that there is a limit to the number of families that can register for a given session. That is one reason we are requesting that families sign up as one registration instead of registering each child individually. Families are encouraged to register early to secure the session that they prefer. Additional sessions will NOT be offered, so if you wait for the last sessions to register and they fill, your only option will be to pay $12 to complete the YQCA online module. Details on the remaining sessions and how to register are listed below:

Read the following details VERY CAREFULLY prior to signing-up for a QA Training, as this registration is intended for FAMILIES, NOT INDIVIDUALS!

We realize we have many 4-H / FFA members enrolled in LIVESTOCK projects, as well as several 4-H Club / FFA Chapter advisors, who still need to complete a Livestock Quality Assurance training during 2020. REMINDER: We are asking families to sign up together, as one registration, and to attend the same session. Due to this fact, prior to completing the survey, we ask that you determine WHO will be attending the session from your family, as you will need to type their names (as well as their 4-H Club or FFA Chapter name) in to the survey… (Note: you will only be asked to list 4-H / FFA livestock project members and advisors – not parents)

There are 11 sessions left. They represent various species, and are offered at various days of the week and times. Please choose the species, date and time that works best for your family. Once you complete the survey, MARK YOUR CALENDAR, so as to not forget to attend. You will receive a confirmation email immediately after completing the survey – if you do not receive a message within an hour, please reach out to Lisa McCutcheon at mccutcheon.46@osu.edu. We would strongly discourage using a school email address – as we have found many of them do not allow for delivery of external emails. An email will come to you approximately 24 hours in advance of your session as a reminder, and it will contain the Zoom link needed to attend. Please note: Sessions are limited to 40 registrations per session. Once a session is filled, it will no longer be listed in the reservation. Register early to have your best selection of sessions.

Please realize that the deadline by which all Hartford Junior Fair livestock project members must attend Quality Assurance training is July 1st. If you do not attend some form of Livestock Quality Assurance training, you will not be eligible to enter / exhibit Junior Fair livestock at the 2020 Hartford Fair.  With that said, if the dates and times do not fit your schedule, you still have one other option: YQCA! YQCA is a national training module, and is offered at a cost of $12 per 4-H / FFA member. You can find details here. We will not schedule any make-up Zoom training sessions, therefore if you are unable to attend one of the 19 sessions being offered, your only other option is to enroll in the YQCA training and pay the accompanying fee. (Note: Advisors are not eligible to complete YQCA, only youth members)

Licking County Quality Assurance sessions will be offered as listed below:

  • Session 9: Tuesday, June 16 | Poultry | 6:00-7:30pm
  • Session 10: Tuesday, June 16 | Goat | 8:00-9:30pm
  • Session 11: Wednesday, June 17 | Rabbit | 6:00-7:30pm
  • Session 12: Thursday, June 18 | Swine | 3:00-4:30pm
  • Session 13: Friday, June 19 | Swine | 10:00-11:30am
  • Session 14: Friday, June 19 | Swine | 12:00-1:30pm
  • Session 15: Monday, June 22 | Goat | 4:00-5:30pm
  • Session 16: Monday, June 22 | Rabbit | 6:00-7:30pm
  • Session 17: Wednesday, June 24 | Rabbit | 6:00-7:30pm
  • Session 18: Wednesday, June 24 | Beef/Dairy/Dairy Feeder | 8:00-9:30pm
  • Session 19: Thursday, June 25 | Goat | 8:00-9:30pm

Once you have reviewed all information above… have determined who will be attending the session… and chosen which date / time / species works best, then you may register online: https://go.osu.edu/2020lickingqasignup