Kane County 4-H Newsletter

Transcription

1 Kane County 4-H Newsletter University of Illinois Extension, Kane County 535 South Randall Road St. Charles, IL / News from the Kane County 4-H Office Dear 4-H Families: Summer is here! We hope each of you are putting the finishing touches on your 4-H projects for the 2015 fair season. Please be sure to read through the fairbook, particularly the general rules and information section and the departments you are planning to exhibit in. If you have questions or don t understand something, don t hesitate to contact your 4-H leader, other club families, or the staff (Doris, Melanie, or Deanna) at the Extension Office. There is a lot of information in this newsletter especially as it relates to fair. Please take some time to read through it. You don t have to read everything, but read the items that pertain to you, your family, your 4-H club or your 4-H projects. We are looking forward to seeing each of you at the fair this year and the wonderful projects you develop! As always, if you have questions please don t hesitate to call us. We may not always be available or know the answer, but we will do our best to find the answers for you. See you at the fair! Doris Braddock Program Coordinator, 4-H Youth Development Deanna K. Roby Unit Educator, 4-H Youth Development Page 1

2 Congratulations Are In Order! To our high school and college graduates, please accept our very best wishes for each of you and all of your future endeavors! We know the life skills you gained in your 4-H experience will serve you well. Congratulations to horse project members that participated in the State Horse Bowl and Hippology Contests in Champaign/Urbana. The Junior Horsebowl team placed 1 st and the Senior team placed 3 rd in the state! In the junior division, Gwen Klinkey placed 3 rd, Samantha Lind, 8 th and Shiane Votava, 10 th. In the senior division, Madde Klinkey placed 2nd, Bailey Ricketts 8 th and Rachel Jarka 10 th. In Hippology, Samantha Lind placed 1 st in the Junior Division. In the Intermediate Division, Gwen Klinkey placed 16 th, Shiane Votava placed 27 th and Grace Feuerborn, 29 th. Baily Rickets placed 9 th, Brittany McCullough 12 th, and Madde Klinkey 16 th in the Senior Division. In the Speech Competitions, Norah Thompson placed 1 st in Junior Individual Speech, Gwen Klinkey took 2 nd place with her Junior Formal Speech; and Madde Klinkey placed 1 st with her Senior Individual Speech. Congratulations to all and thanks to their coaches Sandy Klinkey, Melissa Daufenbach, and Amber Wesner! To the 4-H Robotics teams that participated in the 3 rd Annual Unit 5 Robotics Showcase, Sportbot, held on April 11 th, in Elgin. Team Spirit Award went to Ellis Robotic Eagles Team 1 of Ellis Middle School; the Rookie Award to Ellis Robotic Eagles Team 2; the Engineering Design Award to Venomous Nerds of Tefft Middle School; the Most Creative Award to the TerrorBytes 4-H Club; the and the Judges Choice Award to The Shrekoning of Tefft Middle School. Congratulations to all! To the 4-H Robotics teams that participated in the 6 th Annual State 4-H Robotics Challenge, 4-H Sportbot Challenge held on May 2 nd in Champaign. Terror Bytes earned the Rookie Most Creative award and Ellis Robotics Eagles, team 2, received the Rookie Teamwork award. SNS 0.5 Electrodrones of Kane County was recognized for having the Best Overall Program in Level 1. Congratulations to all! To the got robot? FTC 5037 team who represented 4-H from Kane County and Illinois at the Super Regionals in Iowa City and went on to be a finalist for the INSPIRE award at the World Competition for FIRST in St. Louis! Congratulations! Everyone did an outstanding job and we thank all for representing Kane County 4-H! Page 2

3 4-H Foundation Scholarship Winners Announced Each year the Kane County 4-H Foundation offers scholarships to current 4-H members or alumni attending college or vocational/technical schools. This year, $3,000 in scholarship monies was available. Another scholarship is offered for high school seniors. This scholarship was for $500 and is in memory of Bob Konen, a wonderful supporter of Extension and 4-H throughout his entire life. Winners of this year s scholarships include: Brittany McCullough St. Charles, plans to attend University of Findlay, in Ohio, this fall; awarded a $1,000 scholarship. Blake Sunderlage Genoa, plans to attend Kishwaukee College in Malta this fall; awarded the Bob Konen $500 scholarship and a $500 Kane County 4-H Foundation Scholarship. Congratulations to the scholarship winners and much success to you and your educational goals! Public Presentations Contest Results The Public Presentations Contest was held on Friday, May 8. Seventeen youth gave 26 different presentations at this year s contest. Below is list of the winners from the contest: Grand Champion Public Presentations (8-12 yr. olds) Willem Vandermeij Grand Champion Public Presentations (13-18 yr. olds) Madde Klinkey Grand Champion Public Presentations (Demonstration) Kyle DeSmet Reserve Grand Champion Public Presentations (8-12 yr. olds) Kyle DeSmet Reserve Grand Champion Public Presentations (13-18 yr. olds) Emily Smeenge State Fair Delegates Emily Smeenge (Formal Speech); Madde Klinkey (Illustrated Speech); Madde Klinkey (Oral Interpretation); and Gwen Klinkey (Original Works) State Fair Alternates Jack Mueller (Formal Speech); Emily Smeenge (Illustrated Speech) Congratulations! Everyone did a wonderful job and should be proud of their efforts. Recognition/Award Materials Mailed to Club Leaders This year s Club Awards Packet will be mailed to club leaders in early June. We will also post all of the awards info online. 4-H Stories from the Heart Book Available at Extension Office As many of you will remember, National 4-H solicited stories from 4-H members, parents, leaders, alumni, and staff in the fall of 2010 to compile into a Chicken Soup type book for 4-H. The Illinois 4-H family rallied around this project and had more stories submitted and more stories selected than any other state, including a story by our own Kane County 4-H volunteer Pat Bunge. The book - Page 3

4 4-H Stories from the Heart has been published and copies of the book are available in the Kane County office. Cost of the book is $10. The books could be purchased and used as gifts for 4-H volunteers, alumni, or recognition items for outstanding 4-H members. To get your copy, contact the Kane County office at News from Across the State Looking for Leadership? Consider State 4-H Youth Leadership Team Illinois 4-H has a minimum of 5 spots that they will be trying to fill this summer. 4-H ers must be years of age as of 9/1/2015 in order to apply. Terms are for 2 years, beginning September 1, Meeting requirements and event requirements are noted on the application. YLT members are involved in planning, promoting, mentoring, teaching, advising, and advocating for the 4-H program throughout the year. More details are on the application. More information on YLT and the application can be found at: Applications are due July 31 for interviews at the Illinois State Fair. Illinois Farm Bureau Youth Education Committee, 4-H Representatives Illinois 4-H is recruiting TWO Illinois 4-H ers, age 17-19, to serve on this committee for the next year (July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016). An interest in agriculture is a must. Members must be able to be excused from school as meetings are generally during the week. It s a great way to network with Ag industry leaders within the Farm Bureau family of companies. Teens serve in planning and advising roles during this experience. More information (including dates) is on the application. Applications can be found at: and are due June 15. Kane County Fair News for Everyone 2015 Kane County Fair & 4-H Show Dates Set This year s fair has been scheduled the dates are July 15-19, 2015, at the fairgrounds in St. Charles. The majority of non-livestock projects will be judged July 13 and livestock projects will check-in on July 14. Mark your calendars and save the dates now! For pre-fair activities, the dates are as follows: June 24, Dog Show July 7, Small Pets Show Page 4

5 As a reminder, Kane County 4-H youth who exhibit at the fair will receive a season pass for the fair. The season pass only includes admission to the fairgrounds it does not include rides or shows (there are additional costs for these items). 4-H Leaders and Parents will not be given season passes to the fair. 4-H Portion of the KC Fairbook Available Online This year 4-H families will receive a paper copy of the Kane County Fairbook from your club leader. It is also available online at Click on 4-H - Kane County then scroll down and click on Kane County 4-H Fairbook in the middle of the page. On the right-hand side of the page you will find various sections of the fairbook click on them to find the exhibit guidelines. We hope that you like this format and find it easy to navigate. The fairbook is designed for you to learn about the exhibit opportunities related to your 4-H project work. Completing activities in your project book help you prepare or gain needed skills for your 4-H fair exhibit; they may not actually prepare a 4-H fair exhibit. Enrolling in a 4-H project does not mean that you are signed up to participate in the fair. You must complete the 4-H Fair Registration Form and submit it before the deadline to exhibit in the 4-H portion of the fair. A couple of things for you to consider with this version of the 4-H Fairbook.... Projects are now listed alphabetically in two divisions: Animals and Livestock and General Projects. Where changes were made from the 2014 version, you will find the wording in red. Please read these sections carefully. You will need to read the section related to General Rules and Information, as well as the Tentative Schedule of Events. If you have livestock and/or animals, be sure to read the additional rules for those exhibits and the health requirements for those exhibits from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Additionally, you will need to read the sections that pertain to the exhibits you are bringing to the 4-H Shows at the Kane County Fair. In some exhibit areas, there are additional forms needed to complete your registration for the fair. These were attached to the member s registrations form. Those forms are available on the website as well. They will be in the Forms & Download section. Have Questions About the 4-H Show at the Fair? For new 4-H families, the fair can be confusing. In order to help them through their first 4-H show at the Kane County Fair, new 4-H families are invited to view the New 4-H Family Fair Orientation website at Click on New 4-H Family Fair Page 5

6 Orientation in the right hand column. A Fair Orientation Handbook was also be mailed to new families in May. And, as always, if you have questions, please contact Doris at the Extension Office. Think Safety During the Fair The Kane County Fair is a popular public event and brings in thousands of people from throughout the county and surrounding areas during the week. Each year, there are new and different events happening during the week. Over the years, the demographics of the typical fairgoer has changed and evolved. We would like to remind parents to have the health and safety of your children at the forefront of your thoughts while participating in and visiting the Kane County Fair. For youth ages 12 and under, there should always be a parent or adult guardian with them or on the fairgrounds. For youth ages 13 and older, it may be okay to let them visit the fair by themselves but be sure to discuss proper behavior expectations and safety precautions and procedures with them. Also, please keep in mind, that it is not the responsibility of your 4-H leader, other 4-H volunteers, or Extension staff to supervise your children while they are on the fairgrounds (unless you have made such arrangements specifically with an individual). This event is a wonderful opportunity to make memories with your family that will last a lifetime. Overnight Stays on Fairgrounds University of Illinois Extension/4-H neither encourages nor welcomes participants to stay overnight at the fairgrounds either before or after the 4-H shows and events you participate in. Should you choose to engage in this activity against our express wishes, you will be doing so at your own risk. 4-H Office Hours During Fair The 4-H/Extension staff will be available during fair week on the Fairgrounds. We will not be in the main Extension Office during the fair (you can still call and office staff will get a message to us on the fairgrounds). Our office on the fairgrounds is located across from the livestock arena next to the ice cream stand sponsored by the Kane County 4-H Foundation. Hours will be as follows: 1 p.m. 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15; Thursday, July 16; Friday, July 17; and Saturday, July a.m. 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 Page 6

7 Fair Passes for 4-H Members Youth entering a 4-H exhibit, including Cloverbuds, will be issued a season exhibitor pass (AT NO COST) when they check-in exhibits in the 4-H/Industrial Building. They will be included with each member s exhibit tags. Be sure you have your season pass before leaving the fairgrounds on Monday! One caveat if you receive a season pass as an open show exhibitor, you will not receive an additional pass from us. Those 4-H members who are exhibiting only livestock, horses, small pets, cats, or dogs can come to the 4-H/Industrial Building on Monday, July 13 or to the 4-H Fair Office on Tuesday, July 14 to receive their passes. Staff will have a list of exhibitors. If you do not pick up your pass by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 14, you will have to pay admission to the fairgrounds on the days you visit the fair. As a reminder, the season pass only includes admission to the fairgrounds it does not include rides or shows (there are additional costs for these items). Fair Passes for 4-H Volunteers/Leaders & Parents Can Be Purchased at Extension Office Unless you are a fair superintendent, 4-H volunteers/leaders and parents will not receive fair passes for admission to the fairgrounds. This year, these passes can be purchased at the Extension Office in early July please have exact change or a check made payable to the Kane County Fair Association. Discounts are offered to 4-H volunteers/leaders and parents if you purchase the passes by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. In order to receive the discount, you will need to identify yourself as a 4-H leader or parent and then you can purchase a season pass for $15. Limited car passes will also be available for sale. Car Passes for 4-H Members Attention Livestock and Horse Exhibitors!! Any 4-H er entering livestock in both open and 4-H classes will receive their car pass in the mail from the Kane County Fair Association. Those only entering in 4-H classes will receive this pass during check-in with their fair season pass. Poultry and Rabbit exhibitors will not be receiving a car pass -- please note that the Fair Association will provide feed for these animals in the barns. 4-H Barnyard Olympics at the Kane County Fair Our 4-H Ambassadors are sponsoring a Barnyard Olympics at the Kane County Fair for 4-H members ages Yes, this year Cloverbuds can join in the fun, too! It will be held in the Livestock Arena following the milking derby on Saturday, July 18. See the flyer at the end of this newsletter for more information. Page 7

8 Project Check-in and Parent s Gallery Note Location for Check-in Check-in for non-livestock projects is Monday, July 13, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. To enter projects on Monday, park in the grassy area next to Randall Road enclosed by the chain link fence (enter through the Northeast corner of the Extension Office parking lot). Automobiles SHOULD NOT be driven past the buildings. This is to ensure the safety of all concerned, as there will be much set-up taking place. We thank you for following this policy. When you arrive with your exhibit(s), you should report to the northeast corner of the 4-H/ Industrial Building (the end furthest from the Extension Office; closest to Randall Road). You can pick up your exhibit tags and fair pass there. Tags and fair passes will be in an envelope for each member and in alphabetical order. After receiving exhibit tags, proceed to the parent s gallery in the northeast corner of the building. Remember to bring tape, string, scissors and/or stapler to attach exhibit tags to your exhibits. After securing exhibit tags on exhibit(s), 4-H members should proceed to the various departments where they need to be judged. (Refer to the building layout map at the end of the newsletter.) Once there, check-in with an adult superintendent. The superintendent will want to know what project you are checking in. If the judge is available, you will be judged right away. If not, you will be asked to wait please be patient if this happens. You may have time while waiting to check in other projects. Ask the superintendent if you have time to do that and about what time you should come back for judging in that area. When you are ready for judging, you will meet with the judge to talk about your project. After judging is complete, you leave your project. You are finished at this point, unless you have other projects. All exhibits must stay for display until the end of the Fair (see release time article). Attention Parents the area where you can attach exhibit tags is also the Parent s Gallery. Parents are asked to not go beyond this area into the conference judging areas. If your child needs assistance with projects, please ask an older 4-H member or sibling to help them. We will have older 4-H youth available for this task near the parent s gallery. Please Note Project Release Time on Sunday Project check-out is scheduled for Sunday, July 190, from 6-7 p.m. We will close the exhibit hall at 5 p.m. on Sunday to prepare for project release. Exhibits taken before that time will forfeit their opportunity to exhibit in the 2016 fair. To check out exhibits on Sunday, the 4-H er will need to present their membership card in the various areas in which they are exhibiting. 4-H ers may want to make a list of all their exhibits, so they don t forget to pick one up on Sunday evening. 4-H ers also need to pick up all of their judging scoresheets from the information booth in the building. University of Illinois Extension/4-H and the Kane County Fair Association are not responsible for Page 8

9 projects left after 7 p.m. The exhibit hall will be closed from 5-6 p.m. Sunday in order to prepare for exhibit check-out. Help Wanted with Fair Set-Up Each year, many hours of time go into getting the fairgrounds prepared for the week long fair. Most of this work is done by volunteers. However, those volunteers can t do it all. Therefore, they rely on the help of 4-H youth and families. So, please consider giving some time to help with set-up. The times for the building and animal barns are listed below. 4-H/Industrial Building: Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. (New date this year!) Poultry: Saturday, July 11, 9 a.m. Sheep: Saturday, July 11, 9:30 a.m. Rabbits: Saturday, July 11, 11 a.m. Swine: Sunday, July 12, 9 a.m. Horse & Pony: Sunday, July 12, 12:30 p.m. Goats: Sunday, July 12, 10 a.m. Blue Ribbon Sale: Sunday, July 19, 8 a.m. All helping hands are encouraged and welcome to join in on the set-up. Remember, many hands make light work! Show your Support and Attend the 4-H Fair Awards Program The 4-H Fair Awards Program is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, at 4:30 p.m. in the Livestock Arena. 4-H members who will be recognized at this program will have a colored card attached to their exhibit. The card will indicate that they have won a Grand Champion/Champion award. Grand Champion and Champion plaques will be distributed at this time. This event honors 4-H members for their fair accomplishments. Please join us to recognize these 4-H ers for their project work. If you are recognized during this program, we ask that you stay for the entire program to show your support of all the award winning projects. Be Sure to Check the State Fair Delegate Board A pre-determined number of non-livestock exhibits in the BLUE RIBBON AWARD groups will be selected for display at the Illinois State Fair. Those exhibits must come from 4-H members who are age 10 as of September 1, Exhibitors are allowed to participate in the 4-H portion of the Illinois State Fair with only one non-livestock exhibit. These exhibits will be denoted as State Fair Delegates and State Fair Alternates. A list of eligible State Fair Delegates will be posted on the State Fair Delegate board located in the Exhibit Hall. This includes Public Presentation delegates and alternates. The State Fair Delegate Board will be displayed in the 4-H Exhibit Hall during the 2015 Fair. It is located in the center of the building just west of the 4-H information booth. The board will serve as a Page 9

10 sign-up mechanism for State Fair delegates and alternates as well as a means of recognizing our youth for their accomplishments. This year, we will use state fair delegate and state fair alternate ribbons to help identify projects selected. If such a ribbon appears on a member s exhibit, the 4-H er should check the State Fair Delegate Board for his/her name. Those selected as State Fair Delegates and Alternates must sign the State Fair delegate board in the 4-H/Industrial Building by Saturday, July 18, 7:00 p.m. Be sure to mark YES or NO in EACH area you have been selected. If you have not indicated yes or no by this time, it will be considered a no. State Fair Delegates and Alternates must also pick up State Fair Delegate and Alternate information packet(s) from the 4-H Information Booth located in the 4-H/Industrial Building. Registration paperwork for State Fair Delegates and Alternates must be completed and turned in to the Extension/4-H Office by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22. Eligible alternates will be called after that time. Alternate notification will be in order of selection. If you have questions or need help, contact the 4-H/Extension staff. WANTED: Junior Superintendents 4-H members, ages 13 and over as of June 1, are needed to help in many areas during judging. Interested teens should complete the Junior Superintendent application available on the website (in the forms and downloads section of the fairbook). It should be returned to the Extension Office on or before Friday, June 12. You will be contacted regarding the area in which your help is needed. Building Superintendents Meeting Scheduled There will be a meeting of all 4-H Exhibit Hall superintendents on Wednesday, July 1, 7 p.m. at the Extension Office in St. Charles. It is very important that all 4-H Exhibit Hall Superintendents make an effort to attend this meeting. Fair Passes will be distributed at this meeting. Please contact Doris or Deanna if you have questions. Livestock Superintendents Meeting Scheduled There will be a meeting of all livestock superintendents on Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m. at the Extension Office in St. Charles. It is very important that all Livestock Superintendents make an effort to attend this meeting. Fair Passes will be distributed at this meeting. Please contact Doris or Deanna if you have questions. Page 10

11 Kane County Fair News for Animal/Livestock Project Members Master Showmanship Contest Returns to 2015 Fair Stephen Haas, 4-H volunteer in Kane and DuPage Counties, has agreed to coordinate this year s master showmanship contest for Kane and DuPage 4-H ers at the Kane County Fair. The event will be held on Thursday, July 16, at 7 p.m. To participate, members must be 14 years of age and be exhibiting in a 4-H livestock event in Kane or DuPage County. For more information and a registration form go to: Each county will select one winner to advance to the state competition at the IL State Fair. Animal Possession Deadlines Listed 4-H livestock and other animal exhibitors must have owned and personally cared for their project from the latest starting date for the project. Listed below are the animals and their latest starting date. Beef Performance Cows January 1 Beef Market Heifers January 1 Dairy, Cows January 1 Goats, Milking Doe January 1 Beef Steers February 1 Horse & Pony May 1 Meat Goats, Wethers May 15 Sheep, Wethers May 15 Dairy, Calves & Heifers June 1 Beef Heifers June 1 Goats, Kids & Yearling June 1 Poultry June 1 Rabbits June 1 Swine, Barrows June 1 Swine, Breeding June 1 Swine, Gilts June 1 Sheep, Breeding June 25 4-H'ers must have been enrolled in the appropriate project by no later than April 1, 2015, and have their animals in their own possession by the deadlines listed above. If you have questions, please contact the Extension Office. Attention Swine Exhibitors PLEASE Note! As in the past, there are some additional fair exhibit requirements for members in the swine project. Some of these are not new, but we ask that you please make a note and make sure you are Page 11

12 prepared for your 4-H exhibits. Below is a summary of those requirements. If you have questions or need further information, please contact Nick Hankes or the Extension Office. Swine Nomination Forms 4-H members planning to exhibit swine at the 4-H show during the 2015 Kane County Fair must have nominated their animals by June 12, Nominations are made in the family name and NOT the individual 4-H ers name. Each 4-H er may nominate a maximum of 25 animals. Nomination forms were ed to swine project members in January. Pork Quality Assurance Certification In order to be eligible to exhibit and sell your 4-H swine project at the 2015 Kane County Fair, all youth must become Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) certified. This is also a requirement for participation (junior barrows, open barrows, or Premiere barrows) in the 2015 Illinois State Fair. This rule has been implemented because packing plants and buying stations will not accept pigs without this certification. 4-H PQA certification must be done on an annual basis. Classes for PQA certification were held this spring. If you still need certification, contact the Extension Office ASAP. Premise ID 4-H swine exhibitors will need to obtain a premises ID number in order to exhibit and sell their animals at the Kane County Fair. A Premises ID is for the location animals are produced and/or raised. The Premises ID number may or may not be registered in the exhibitor s name as it relates only to location and not ownership. The Premises Identification Number is for the location where the animals are produced and/or raised. If that is a family farm, then one Premises Identification Number is needed for that location and can be placed on any of the 4-H/FFA members' entries that are on that farm. If a member boards their livestock at another location, the owner of that facility must apply for a Premises Identification Number and that number needs to be placed on their entries. The Premises ID number should be obtained prior to the fair so that it can be entered on the Blue Ribbon Sale card. Members must include a valid Premises Identification Number on their Blue Ribbon Sale card in order to sell their swine in the 4-H Sale. Premises registration is free and can be performed on line at ( or by submitting a paper form (which is available online). When registering on line, you will be immediately issued the Premises ID number. When mailing in a paper form, you may need to allow 4-6 weeks to be issued a number. We suggest that parents check with the facility where the animals are housed to see if they have a Premises Identification Number OR start the process for obtaining a Premises Identification Number. Doing this now will avoid a backlog in the spring/summer months. Page 12

13 Poultry Testing for Pullorum Typhoid Required In order to exhibit poultry at the Kane County Fair, all entries (except waterfowl) must have originated from a U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid clean or equivalent hatchery or flock OR have a negative Pullorum-Typhoid test within 90 days prior to exhibition. If birds come from a hatchery, a copy of the form indicating they are Pullorum-Typhoid free must be presented. The form should also indicate the number of birds purchased from that hatchery. Testing for pullorum-typhoid must be done on an annual basis. We have scheduled testing for Saturday, June 27, at the fairgrounds 8:30 am to noon. If you need birds tested, please pre-register with the Extension Office no later than Friday, June 19. Rabbit Tattooing All rabbits to be shown during the Kane County Fair must be identified by a permanent tattoo in the left ear that must be verified by a superintendent at check-in. Rabbit tattooing will be available on Saturday, June 27, 8:30 am to noon in the Livestock Arena on the Kane County Fairgrounds. Please pre-register with Melanie or Doris at the Extension office no later than Friday, June 19, with your name, 4-H club, phone number, and the number of rabbits you plan to bring for tattooing. Buyers Needed for Blue Ribbon Sale Meeting for Youth Scheduled Additional buyers at the 4-H sale should result in additional profits to you and the 4-H program. However, the potential growth of buyers at the sale will require a great deal of footwork by 4-H members and their families. Your help will make the sale a success, as it has been in the past. To help you recruit buyers (new and past), marketing brochures and posters are available at the Extension Office. Please use this information provided by the committee. Sale entries for sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, and dairy certificates close at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, and 1 p.m. for cattle and goats on Friday, July 17. Additional entries will not be allowed after that time. All 4H ers who participate in the Blue Ribbon Sale should report to the sale site on the fairgrounds at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 19. IL State Fair News 2015 IL State Fair Scheduled The dates for the 2015 Illinois State Fair have been set Friday, August 14, Through Sunday, August 23, The state fair junior horse show will be held July 21 through July 26. Mark your calendars and save the dates now! Kane County s day for conference judging is Saturday, August 15. Page 13

14 State Fairbook Only Available Online In an effort to cut costs, the 2015 Illinois State Fairbook will only be available online. Livestock exhibit entry forms are also accessible on the web. To access the fairbook or entry forms, visit the following website: Once there, click on Competitions, then click on Premium Books and Entry Forms and then click on Junior Livestock. You can then look for the various sections you are interested in (hint: animals sections are each individually labeled and the rest of the 4-H exhibits are in the 4 H Exhibit Division ). State Fair Admission & Parking Passes We will not be ordering a surplus of State Fair Admission and Parking Passes this year. We can still get them for you, but you will need to order them in advance. If you wish to order, please use the form included at the end of this newsletter and submit it with your payment no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24. We will notify you when we receive the passes so you can pick up yours from the office. Due to problems in the past, we will not be mailing them. (FYI During the State Fair, General Parking (Gate 6) costs $7 and admission prices are $7.00 for adults 13 & over; $3.00 for children (ages 5-12) and children under age 5 are free.) 4-H Website Answers Your State Fair Questions! The Illinois State Fair showcases the finest Illinois 4-H has to offer; and this year, there is even MORE MORE exhibits, MORE prizes, MORE fun, and MORE friends. To help your family have the BEST 4-H State Fair experience possible, we ve created a website. Click over to: and see lots of stuff exhibit guidelines, complete show schedules, maps and more. State Fair Livestock Exhibit Entries Due Livestock entries for the 2015 Illinois State Fair are due in Springfield by July 1. This year, youth must have their entries signed by Extension staff before submitting them. Again this year there are entry fees associated with entering. They are as follows: beef cattle ($10/head); dairy cattle ($10/head); goats ($2.50/head); poultry ($1/class); rabbits ($1/class); sheep ($2.50/head); and swine ($2.50/class). Checks for these fees should be made payable to the Illinois State Fair. Entries and fees are due to the Extension Office no later than Thursday, June 25. Animal Show Times are Changing at Illinois State Fair The Illinois State Fair is changing many of the times and dates for several of the livestock shows this year. It is important that all exhibitors check the state fair website frequently for final details. A schedule is Page 14

15 State Fair Market Heifers Must be Open Members planning on exhibiting in the new Market Heifer class at the State Fair must provide confirmation at check in that the heifer is open (not bred). You will need this confirmation provided by your local veterinarian either on the health papers or in a written letter form. Heifers which do not have this documentation will be required to have a pregnancy test administered by the state fair vet at the exhibitor s expense Illinois State Fair Superior Young Producer Award Entry forms for the Superior Young Producer Award are available at the Extension Office. The contest is open to youth 14 years of age (as of September 1, 2014) or older exhibiting at the Illinois State Fair Junior shows. $1,000 college scholarships are awarded to the top 5 youth in each species area (beef, sheep, swine, dairy, horse & pony). Entry forms for this contest are due on July 1 and can be found at: State Fair 4-H Dog Show Entries Due The 2015 State 4-H Dog Show will not be held in conjunction with State Fair. The State Fair no longer provides the Special Activities Tent during the fair and with other scheduled events, there is physically no other location on the fairgrounds to hold the show. This year s show has been scheduled for Saturday, August 29 on the state fairgrounds in Springfield. The location will be the Exposition Building. Entries for this event require an Extension Official s signature and are due to the Extension Office no later than July 29. Along with your entry, you must include a copy of your score sheet signed by the judge. Remember that a dog may qualify for the State 4-H show by receiving the points needed at either a 4-H dog show OR an approved AKC show. There is also a fee associated with entering it is $2. Checks for this fee should be made payable to the Illinois State Fair. A copy of your current rabies vaccination certificate should also be attached to your entry. Want to Help at the State Fair? Each day about 75 volunteers are needed to help with the state fair general project judging. Judge s assistants help monitor project exhibits, call up exhibitors for judging, attach ribbons to exhibits, and record results. There are two different shifts for workers 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Noon to 5 PM. Pick one or both shifts to help! If you wish to be reimbursed for your time, the state offers up to $35 per day for judge s assistants. You can even select the project area you wish to assist. REGISTER Mention paid or volunteer in the notes section to let us know if you ll be requesting payment. Page 15

16 Wednesday, June 24 5:30-6:00 p.m. Dog Show Check-In Robinson Hall 6:00 p.m. Dog Show Judging begins Robinson Hall Tuesday, July 7 4:00-5:00 p.m. Small Pets Check-In Dining Rm. Robinson Hall 5:00 p.m. Small Pets Judging begins Dining Rm. Robinson Hall Monday, July 13 1:30-5:30 p.m. Cloverbud Exhibit Check-In 4-H Exhibit Hall Non-Livestock Exhibits Check-In Clothing & Textiles Check-In 2:00-6:00 p.m. Non-Livestock Exhibits Judged Clothing & Textiles Judged 4-H Exhibit Hall Extension Office 4-H Exhibit Hall Extension Office 6:30 p.m. Non-Livestock Judging Concludes Tuesday, July 14 See fairbook for times All Livestock Check-In Livestock Barns 5:30-6:30 p.m. Horse & Pony Measuring TBA 6:00 p.m. Fashion Revue Check-In Prairie Events Center, Atrium Page 16

17 Tuesday, July 14 (cont.) 7:00 p.m. Fashion Revue, State Fair Judging & Awards Prairie Events Center, Atrium Immediately following Fashion Revue 4-H/Industrial Building Open for viewing of judging results until 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 15 8:00 a.m. Sheep Judging Sheep Barn Poultry Judging Poultry Barn 8:30 a.m. Horse & Pony Show Horse Arena 9:00 a.m. Beef Rate-of-Gain Weigh-In Livestock Arena Thursday, July 16 8:00 a.m. Swine Judging-Production Gilts, Market Gilts, Market Barrows, Swine Barn Club Exhibit & Showmanship 8:30 a.m. Horse & Pony Show Horse Arena Dairy Judging-All Breeds 9:00 a.m. Rabbit Judging-Large Breeds, Followed by small breeds and meat pen Livestock Arena Rabbit Barn 5:00 p.m. Goat Judging Goat Tent 6:00 p.m. Blue Ribbon Sale Sign-up Deadline for: Sheep, Swine, Poultry, Rabbits, & Dairy 4-H Fair Office Page 17

18 Friday, July 17 8:30 a.m. Steer Show Livestock Arena Following the Steer Show Beef Judging (Fat & Breeding Classes, & Showmanship) Confirmation Judging for Rate of Gain Steers Livestock Arena 9:00 a.m. Deadline-Milking Derby Sign-up 4-H Fair Office 10:00 a.m. Horse & Pony Fun Day Show Horse Arena 1:00 p.m. Blue Ribbon Sale Sign-up Deadline for Cattle & Goats 4-H Fair Office Saturday, July 18 8:00 a.m. Horse & Pony Dressage Show Horse Arena 4:30 p.m. Fair Awards Program Livestock Arena 5:30 p.m. Milking Derby Livestock Arena 6:30-8:30 p.m. Barnyard Olympics Livestock Arena 7:00 p.m. Deadline-State Fair Delegate Board Sign-up for Non-Livestock Exhibits 4-H Exhibit Hall Sunday, July 19 8:00 a.m. Blue Ribbon Sale Set-Up Livestock Arena 1:00 p.m. 4-H Champion Blue Ribbon Sale Livestock Arena 5:00 p.m. 4-H Exhibits Closed to prepare for Project Check-Out 6:00-7:00 p.m. All 4-H Non-livestock Exhibits 4-H Exhibit Hall 4-H Exhibit Hall Released Page 18

19 Map of Exhibit Hall during judging The 4-H Exhibit Hall is now air conditioned! Due to this improvement the location of several exhibits changed within the hall in the past couple of years. Please follow the map and legend above to locate where to have your exhibits judged! Page 19

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21 Illinois State Fair Parking and Admission Order Form 4-H Family: Address: Phone: (H) Parking Passes ($4 each; indicate the # of passes you need on that day and your preferred lot see Date Lot # 1 Lot #18 Date Lot #1 Lot #18 Friday, August 14 Wednesday, August 19 Saturday, August 15 Thursday, August 20 Sunday, August 16 Friday, August 21 Monday, August 17 Saturday, August 22 Tuesday, August 18 Sunday, August 23 (C) Lot #1 will be the closest parking to the Orr building, this year s exhibit hall. (Gate 8) Lot #18 is Public Parking in the middle of the one-mile track. (Gate 6) Admission Passes (Admission passes are needed for EACH individual in a car ages 5 and up. Ages 13-Adult, $4 each; Ages 5-12, $1 each; Youth ages 4 and under DO NOT need an admission pass.) # of $1.00 Admission Tickets (Ages 5-12) # of $4.00 Admission Tickets (Ages 13 adult) Orders must be prepaid. Checks should be made payable to University of Illinois Extension. Deadline for ordering is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24. Orders may be dropped off at the Extension Office or mailed to: University of Illinois Extension Attn: State Fair Orders 535 S. Randall Road St. Charles, IL Page 21