Project Completion and State Fair Requirements

What are the county guidelines for my project? What do I need to exhibit at the county fair? Is my project eligible for State Fair? What are the State Fair requirements for this project? Where can I find more information?

Right here! The Project Completion and State Fair Requirements lists all Miscellaneous, FCS, and FCS Related project guidelines, project Skill Level, county fair exhibit requirements, and their eligibility for State Fair and what is required. The chart is broken down by project area (About 4-H, Companion Animals, Food and Nutrition, etc.) then numerically by project number. All members need to access these requirements for their project(s). Due to the size, it will not be provided for each project book. Members/Parents can access the chart by clicking on the link. Additional information for these project areas are listed below.

Why are we no longer printing project guidelines for each book?

Project guidelines have been compiled into one very large document that includes our county guidelines as well as the guidelines to compete at State Fair. Having all the information you need in one place will help lessen the confusion and questions that often come when children qualify for State Fair. You know from the very beginning of the project what the requirements for State are, and if your child has a goal of competing at that level, you can prepare.

We at Extension are working hard to reduce waste and conserve costs. We view online documents routinely and 4-H documents are no different.

Each and every 4-H'er has an in-school email that is utilized consistently and communication in this fashion is the norm. We feel that if you can locate, view, and print/save documetns for school, you can also do this with 4-H documents.

Click on the Animal Sciences Projects link, below, for guidelines in these project areas.

Miscellaneous Projects FCS and Related Projects Animal Sciences Projects
Miscellaneous Clothing Beef
Shooting Sports FCS Related Dairy
  Food and Nutrition Swine
    Sheep
    Goat
    Poultry
    Rabbit
    Equine

County 4-H Projects Overview

Please carefully read the information provided in the overview as it may answer most Interview Judging or county fair questions.

This is updated yearly. All members should receive this information. It lists information pertaining to Project Completion and Interview Judging, State Fair eligibility, and limited county fair requirements as well as premium requirements. Click here for the 2023 Overview.


MISCELLANEOUS

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these projects or guidelines. Individual project guidelines for these projects are included in the Project Completion and Fair Requirements chart.

Dog Projects
Self-Determined Projects

Individual project guidelines for these projects are included in the Project Completion and Fair Requirements chart.

These topic areas correspond to self-determined fair classes throughout the state fair.

  • 365.00 General (Self-Determined Day)
  • 365.01 Companion Animal (Companion Animal Day)
  • 365.02 Creative Arts (Creative Arts Day)
  • 365.03 Family Life (Family Life Day)
  • 365.04 Natural Resources (Natural Resources Day II)
  • 365.05 Quilt (Quilt Day)
  • 365.06 Workforce Prep (Workforce Prep Day)

To see which category your project falls under, visit the Self-Determined page at https://ohio4h.org/selfdetermined.

Resources for self-determined projects:

  • Self-Determined Project Plan - Due no later than June 1, 2023. This plan is included as part of your project Interview Judging score. Failure to return this form by the due date will result in deducted points. Only members enrolled in #365.00 Self-Determined - General, Other need to complete this form. Other self-determined projects - Idea Starters - DO NOT need to complete the Project Plan! (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete; submit button will not work -complete and save, then attach to an email.)
  • Thinking Verbs List
  • Self-Determined Project Question Ideas - Examples of questions that may or may not be asked during Interview Judging. These examples are to help you with your project knowledge as you prepear for Interview Judging.
  • Self-Determined Score Sheet
Shooting Sports

This leader-directed program is taught only by certified volunteers to 4-H members ages 9 and above as of January 1 of the current year. Click here for more information on the Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports program. For more information on the county Shooting Sports program, click here.


FCS AND RELATED

Please contact Christine Kendle if you have any questions regarding these projects or guidelines. Individual project guidelines for these projects are included in the Project Completion and Fair Requirements chart.

Genealogy
Clothing
Food and Nutrition

All Ohio 4-H food and nutrition projects use MyPlate, which incorporates current USDA recommendations about eating and exercise. Depending on a project book's publication date, it may refer instead to the older MyPyramid or Food Guide Pyramid, but 4-H members should still know the MyPlate recommendations. For information about MyPlate, go to choosemyplate.gov.

Recipe Completion Charts


SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT PROJECT REGISTRATION FORMS

It has been brought to our attention that some are having difficulties downloading the forms. We've had luck with the following instructions. If this does not work for you, please print off the blank form, complete, and bring to our office (in person during open hours or our drop box available 24/7 (checked daily and upon our return from lunch).

  • No matter which browser you use, DOWNLOAD the form to your computer.
  • Go directly to your DOWNLOADS FOLDER; open the file to complete.
  • LEFT CLICK the box to drop in your animal's pictures if pictures are required for your project.
  • When clicking on the SUBMIT button, it should automatically open your email to attach the document.
  • Members submitting by email will receive a confirmation that we've received your form.
Again, if you have any problems with email submission, please bring your form to our office. THANK YOU!

ANIMAL SCIENCES

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding projects or guidelines in large and small livestock or dairy.

Please contact Christine Kendle if you have any questions regarding Equine projects or guidelines.

Beef Projects

All members enrolled in beef projects are REQUIRED to attend Quality Assurance.

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)

Dairy Projects

All members enrolled in dairy projects are REQUIRED to attend Quality Assurance.

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)

  • #127 Dairy Calf, Heifer (includes all guidelines) For 2023: Members are required to compile a notebook to record involvement in the appropriate project requirements listed. Members will not be eligible to exhibit their animal if a notebook is not compiled. If book is unfinished, acceptance of materials will be at the judge's discretion.
  • Lease Agreement
Swine Projects

All members enrolled in swine projects are REQUIRED to attend Quality Assurance.

  • #139 Market Hog (all levels; includes all guidelines and Project Registration Form) Project Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)
  • #140 Swine Breeding (no Project Registration Form required)
Sheep Projects

All members enrolled in sheep rojects are REQUIRED to attend Quality Assurance.

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)

Small Livestock - Goats, poultry, rabbits

Members enrolled in small livestock projects are REQUIRED to attend Quality Assurance.

Goats - The Poisonous Plants Extension Goat Handbook and Goat Vaccine Protocol handouts are included with each project's guidelines.

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)

Poultry
See information about Poultry Resource handbook and other poultry resources here.

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)

Rabbits - NEW GUIDELINES POSTED 6/20/2023

Equine

NewProject Registration Form is a fillable and submittable pdf! No signatures required. Insert your animal's pictures into the required areas (no more waiting for pictures to be printed!). Click the Submit button to send your form via email to our office. Printed forms with photos attached and brought to the office are also accepted. (Form is a fillable pdf. For Firefox users: You may be prompted by your browser to open with a different viewer. For Google users: Download document to complete.)