The following rules apply to all divisions of the 4-H Department. Rules that apply specifically to a particular division will be listed under rules for that division. Rules not specifically stated in the 4-H Premium Book are addressed in the Nebraska 4-H Policy Handbook.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: An exhibitor must be a 4-H member in Buffalo County and enrolled in the project in which they are exhibiting by June 15 of the current year. There will be no discrimination because of race, color, sex or national origin. To be eligible to receive premiums in this department an exhibitor must be regularly enrolled in the Buffalo County 4-H Program and be within the required age limits (8-18 years as of January 1 of current year).
ENTRY GUIDELINES: All advance entries are due to the Extension Office by July 2. Exhibit in classes based on project enrollment with the Extension Office. All static exhibits must be entered at the Extension Building from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. Foods only will be checked in from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22 and horticulture, floriculture and crops will check in from 7 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. All livestock must be entered at the appropriate locations no later than noon, Thursday, July 23. Rabbits and poultry must be entered from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and from 8 a.m. to noon, Friday, July 24. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED, except where noted. No entry can be made of any articles that are not listed in the premium book. School/scout/church projects are encouraged to be entered in Open Class. Fair exhibits should be the result of the skills learned within the current year. Static exhibits shown and judged in a previous year will not be accepted. Skills learned from these projects and applied to another exhibit are welcome to be entered in the 4-H Division. 4-H members may only exhibit in the project in which they are enrolled and one entry per class number. All static exhibits must be labeled. Label each item with the exhibitor’s name, project division, exhibit class number and years in the project before entering at county fair.
INTERVIEW JUDGING: Limited to three total items that you can sign up for starting July 1 at the Extension Office (not three items per area). Projects can be interview judged from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 22, are: Citizenship and Civic Education; Communications and Expressive Arts; Family and Consumer Science; Clothing and Textiles; Consumer Management; Home Environment; Environmental and Earth Science, Conservation and Wildlife; Nutrition, Foods and Food Preservation; Health and Safety; Entrepreneurship and Leadership; Miscellaneous; Human Development; Science and Technology. Interview judging for horticulture and crops will begin at 10 a.m. Clover Kids may be interviewed during the Clover Kids Show and Tell.
ENTRY FEES: (Prices Subject to Change) Livestock exhibitors are required to pay entry fees for their exhibits as follows:
Beef - $25 per head for 2026
Dairy - $25 per head for 2026
Bucket Calf - $8 per head for 2026
Sheep/Goat and Swine - $8 per head for 2026
Extra chips - $10 per bag for 2026
These fees provide for wood bedding. All livestock entry fees are non-refundable.
NUMBER OF ENTRIES: Only one entry per class per exhibitor will be accepted; with the exception of livestock, dog, poultry and rabbit classes or as indicated.
EXHIBITS RELEASED: Non-livestock entries will be released from the fair from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26. Non-sale animals can be removed after 8 p.m. Sunday, July 26, and before 7 a.m. Monday, July 27, or following the 4-H auction. Rabbits and poultry will be released at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 26. Entries removed from the premises early, without written permission, will forfeit premium money.
DISCLAIMER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXHIBITS: 4-H exhibits at the Buffalo County Fair are entered and displayed at the risk of the 4-H member. The Buffalo County 4-H Council in cooperation with the Buffalo County Fair Association accepts exhibits and will exercise due care to protect them. However, the 4-H Council and the Fair Association cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage that might occur. 4-H members who have exhibits of great sentimental and/or monetary value should carefully consider if such exhibits should be exposed to the hazards of the fair.
RIBBONS AND PREMIUMS AWARDED: All exhibits will be divided into groups according to merit. Placings follow this sequence: Purple — superior exhibit; blue — excellent exhibit; red — average exhibit; white — acceptable exhibit. Equal prizes will be given the same-colored awards under the same entry number. Each entry number will show its own scale of awards.
ONLY PURPLES CAN BE CHAMPIONS: An entry must have been awarded a first or second purple ribbon in its class to be eligible to compete for champion or reserve champion. All outstanding exhibitors (beef, dairy, goat and sheep, swine, horse, dog, small animal, rabbit, poultry, agronomy, conservation/science/technology, clothing, food, home environment, human development, photography/poster/banner, plant science and shooting sports) must be 11 years old on January 1 of current year.
GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE: The respective superintendent has the authority to make appropriate decisions based on the 4-H Premium Book. When needed, a committee shall be appointed to serve as a grievance review group. They will meet when needed to act upon concerns. All protests must be submitted in writing and signed by at least two people. The written protest must be submitted to the department superintendent and must include:
1. Names of people involved
2. Nature of concerns
3. Situation and documentation
4. Recommendations for correction
5. Specific action, rule, etc. in question
6. List of additional persons committee may contact for further clarification
7. Procedures and/or steps carried out by the person involved prior to submission of the protest to the Superintendent.
The committee will review the written protest. Committee members may discuss the situation with affected people and show officials, including Buffalo County Fair officials. Recommendations will be developed, followed, and communicated both verbally and in writing to the group or individual affected. In cases of protest the exhibitor may be allowed to show but results of showing will be subject to change based on the outcome of the protest process. This allows for smooth operation of the show and facilitates appropriate processing. The management reserves the right to withhold premium and/or award. The exhibitor may be excluded from the show if action warrants. Grievances will not be accepted later than 12 hours from the time of occurrence. Protests related to judges’ integrity, decisions, placings, or other evaluations will not be accepted.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Use or possession of alcoholic beverages or drugs (except for medical purposes) by any exhibitor participating in 4-H at the Buffalo County Fair will result in immediate disqualification of that exhibitor’s entry.
INSURANCE: Health and Accident Insurance is carried on 4-H members whose presence is required for judging purposes. A report of all illnesses or accidents must be made to the Extension Office on the Fairgrounds within 24 hours after the accident or illness. The claim must be filed as soon as possible and within 30 days after the accident. The 4-H Council and the Buffalo County Fair Association will not be held responsible for any accident, damage or loss.
STATE FAIR ELIGIBILITY: County winners must have been 8 years old on January 1 of current year to be eligible to enter or represent the county in state fair competition where presence of the 4-H’er is required for judging purposes, such as animal exhibits, judging contests, presentations, and fashion show. For classes where presence of the 4-H’er is not required, the exhibitor must be 8 as of January 1. All static exhibits must receive a purple ribbon at the county fair in order to be eligible for State Fair selection.
PREMIER SCIENCE AWARD: The Premier Science Award Recognizes 4-H member’s static exhibits incorporating or demonstrating concepts from the areas of 4-H Science (science, technology, engineering, or applied math). Exhibits in all curriculum areas will be considered for the award. Youth may select ONE exhibit from any department to complete their application. During Static exhibit check-in, the award application should be dropped off at the Science, Engineering, and Technology Department check-in with a photograph of the exhibit. The photograph will not be used for judging but is needed to assist in locating the exhibit. The original exhibit should be dropped off to its department area. Exhibits which do not have a completed application or photograph will be disqualified. Participants will be scored on how well they communicate their use of the Scientific Method or Engineering Design Process while completing their exhibit. Up to 3 exhibits will be chosen to move on to the State Fair. No additional ribbons or premiums will be awarded. The Premier Science Award application can be obtained at the Buffalo County Extension office or visit https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/buffalo/4-h/buffalo-county-fair/.