4-H & FFA Junior Fair Information and Requirements

2025 4-H Deadlines

JANUARY 15
  • Above & Beyond forms due
  • Diamond Clover application due
  • Year End Treasurer's Report due (submitted by club leaders)
FEBRUARY 22
  • Market Beef Weigh-In (required for those wanting to participate in rate of gain competition)
MARCH 1
  • Bad Weather Date for Market Beef Weigh-In
APRIL 1
  • Communications Contest entries due
  • ENROLL NOW to be included in all time sensitive fair correspondence
APRIL 15
  • Youth & Adult Booster Scholarships due
MAY 1
  • Music Contest entries due
JUNE 1
  • Shooting Sports Contest entries due
  • State Horse ID sheets due
  • State Horse Show entries due (county only deadline is June 15)
JUNE 15
  • ALL 4-H & FFA enrollment/re-enrollment DEADLINE
  • Animal Deadlines
    • Animal ID & Entry entries due
    • Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certification due
    • State Fair: Information due on https://showstockmgr.com. DNA envelopes for market AND breeding animals due to the Extension Office.
  • Contest Deadlines
    • Fashion Show entry due (narrations due July 15)
    • Favorite Foods Revue entries due
    • Interview Judging Contest entries due
    • Companion Animal Contest entries due
  • Scholarship Deadlines
    • Jean I. Nutzman Memorial Award applications due
    • 4-H Project Assistance Scholarships due
JULY 15
  • Static Entries Due
  • Fashion Show narrations due
AUGUST 1
  • State Fair: Shopping in Style/Fashion Show entries due
AUGUST 10
  • State Fair: Livestock Entries due by 8:00 p.m.
OCTOBER 1
  • Achievement Applications due (achievement applications required for all Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarships)
  • Youth Booster Scholarships due

4-H Dress Code

In Richardson County, in 2025, fair t-shirts will be provided to all enrolled 4-H members by a local sponsor. Dress code for specific pre-fair contests, shooting sports, and fair contests and shows is below.

  • PRE-FAIR 4-H CONTESTS (communications and music): All participants should wear casual business attire.
  • SHOOTING SPORTS: The t-shirts provided to 4-H members are required to be worn for all contests; solid-colored pants; and closed-toed shoes that completely cover the food. No tight-fitting pants. For rifle disciplines, closed-toed shoes must be cut below the ankle (ex: no boots or high-top shoes).
  • 4-H FAIR CONTESTS (excluding Livestock Judging and riding mower, ATV, and tractor driving): The t-shirts provided to 4-H members are required to be worn at all in-person fair contests; solid-colored pants; and closed-toed shoes or boots.
  • 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOWS: The t-shirts provided to 4-H members are required to be worn for all livestock shows and the support auction; solid-colored pants; and closed-toed shoes or boots. Dairy cattle 4-H members may wear white pants, or any other solid-color pants. No harnesses for back tags may be worn.
  • 4-H HORSE SHOW: All 4-H members must wear official dress which is outlined in the 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide (4-H 373).

2025 Fair Schedule

2025 Fairbook

Please replace last year's fairbook with the new 2025 fairbook. Discard all old material and entry forms, and use the updated information. The updated Fairbook contains important changes/corrections and will be the Rules & Guidelines for the 2025 4-H year. Changes and corrections are highlighed in grey in the fairbook. Please pay close attention to those changes, as they may affect your project areas.

Please contact the Extension Office with any questions at 402-245-4324. Individual fairbook sections can be accessed below. To download the complete fairbook, click HERE.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION AND RULES

 

CONTESTS

 

CLOVER KIDS

 

LIVESTOCK EXHIBITS

 

STATIC EXHIBITS

 

APPENDICES

Eligibility & Entry Information

To be eligible for the Richardson County 4-H & FFA Junior Fair, 4-H projects must be the result of the 4-H member's project since the last State Fair. The following are requirements to exhibit at the Junior Fair:

  • 4-H and FFA members must be enrolled in Richardson County 4-H by June 15 of the current year. If enrollment is completed after June 15, members can participate but will not receive ribbons or premiums for their projects. Members may enroll in more than one county 4-H program, however, 4-H members may not exhibit the same project in multiple counties. 
  • Exhibitors may exhibit in 4-H and/or FFA, but exhibitors CAN NOT exhibit the same animal in 4-H and FFA.
  • In some project areas, divisions are divided by 4-H member age. The youths age is the age they were on December 31 of the prior year. Age divisions are as follows:
    • Clover Kids: 5-7 years of age
    • Junior Division: 8-10 years of age (13 years and under for areas where there is no intermediate division)
    • Intermediate Division: 11-13 years of age
    • Senior Division: 14-18 years of age (14 years and over for areas where there is no intermediate division)

Exhibits are required to be pre-entered, either online or by paper form. 

  • Livestock MUST BE identified and pre-entered with the Extension Office by June 15. 
  • Fair contests must be pre-entered by June 15. (Livestock Judging, Riding Mower, ATV, and Tractor Driving contests do not require pre-entry)
  • Fashion Show must be pre-entered by June 15.
  • Static exhibits must be pre-entered by July 15.

 

Livestock Exhibit ID & Entry Form     Static Exhibit Entry Form     Fair Contest Entry Form     Fashion Show Entry Form     Online Entry Link

 

Livestock Exhibits

Nebraska 4-H livestock programs and projects strive to create an atmosphere that encourages good character, accountability, and ethical decision making. At the Richardson County 4-H & FFA Junior Fair livestock areas available for exhibit include beef, dairy cattle, dairy goats, horse, meat goats, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine species. The following are initial rules and requirements to exhibit livestock at the Junior Fair:

  • 4-H and FFA members must be enrolled in Richardson County 4-H by June 15 of the current year to exhibit at the fair.
  • Exhibitors may exhibit in 4-H and/or FFA, but exhibitors CAN NOT exhibit the same animal in 4-H and FFA.
  • Exhibits are required to be pre-entered, either online or by paper form. Livestock MUST BE identified and pre-entered with the Extension Office by June 15. 
  • Prior to entry, all livestock exhibitors are required to either:

    • Set a farm visit time with Extension Staff. During this time 4-H members will have the opportunity to share their 4-H projects with Extension Staff and talk about thier 4-H year thus far. Tagging of animals will also be verified during this time. Sign up for a farm visit at go.unl.edu/rclivestockid. 

      OR

    • Submit photo identification of tagged animals at the time of entry on June 15. Photos should be emailed to richardson-county@unl.edu. Three photos are needed: profile, front, and ear tag. Photo identification is required for all 4-H families that reside outside of Richardson County.
  • Youth for the Qualtity Care of Animals (YQCA) is required for all 4-H members exhibiting livestock. Click here for more information on YQCA.
  • Breeding animals must be entered as breeding, and market animals must be entered as market. No changes are allowed.
  • All animals shown must be owned and managed by the 4-H member, or a signed ownership affidavit is required. Animals must be cared for by the 4-H member.
  • A Livestock Market Report Record Sheet must be completed for a minimum of one market specie; maximum of three market species exhibited by the 4-H member. The report must be turned into Extension Staff before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22. One form must be completed to participate in the support auction. Download the Livestock Market Report Record Sheet here.

Additional rules and regulations for the livestock shows and specie specific information can be found in the fairbook.

 

LIVESTOCK SUPPORT AUCTION
  • Market animals are eligible for the livestock support auction. Each market livestock exhibitor is allowed to take ONE market animal through the support auction.
  • For market animals to be eligible, they must meet minimum weights as outlined in the fairbook.
  • ONE Livestock Market Report Record Sheet is required by the 4-H exihibitor to be eligible for the livestock support auction.
  • At the fair, 4-H members eligible for the livestock support auction and wanting to participate MUST complete a LIvestock Support Auction Nomination FOrm. Forms  will be handed out during market shows. Once complete, they must be turned into the Extension Office by the date outlined in the fairbook.
  • 2025 Livestock Support Auction order is as follows:
    • Clover Kid Parade
    • Market Sheep
    • Market Rabbit
    • Market Poultry
    • Market Swine
    • Market Meat Goat/Dairy Goat
    • Market Beef/Dairy Beef

 

IMPORTANT LIVESTOCK FORMS AND INFORMATION

 

YQCA

Nebraska 4-H requires all youth enrolled in livestock projects (excluding horse) to complete annual quality assurance training through Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). YQCA is a national multi-species quality assurance program focused on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development. Annual training is required for youth ages 8-18; clover kids are not required to participat in YQCA training. 

  • Deadline for YQCA testing is June 15.
  • Once tests are passed, certificates should be brought to the Extension Office or emailed to richardson-county@unl.edu.  

 

WEB-BASED TRAINING

The online course costs $12 per individual regardless of age. Each session purchased includes three modules - a knowledge builder, a skills lab, and a quiz. The knowledge builder is where content is delivered. The skills lab provides an opporutnity to apply the content. The quiz tests knowledge. To receive certification, 80% must be achieved on the quiz. The modules will provide two to three hourse of experience.

 

TEST OUT

Test-out options are only available to Intermediate and Senior age levels. There is no test-out option for Juniors. If passed, youth will not be required to complete the annual training requirements for the remainder of their current age level (Intermediates: 12-14; Seniors: 15-18). Each test consists of 50 randomly selected questions and has a pass rate of 80% or better for certification. Particiants only have one chance to take the test-out option. If youth do not pass, they will not have another opportunity to test-out at that age level. If youth pass payment will be required at the completion of the test. Cost for Intermediates is $36; Seniors $48. 

 

YQCA Program Website

Static Exhibits

Projects provide the basis of the 4-H program by offering various educational experiences. Carrying out a project will help the member "learn by doing" as well as learn the "why" things happen the way they do. At the Richardson County 4-H & FFA Junior Fair static areas available for exhibit include clothing, textiles, and consumer management; quilt quest; foods and nutrition; citizenship and heritage; home design and restoration; visual arts; photography; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); plant science; conservation and wildlife; and diverse projects including human development, entrepreneurship, safety, and veterinary science. The following are initial rules and requirements to exhibit static projects at the Junior Fair:

  • 4-H and FFA members must be enrolled in Richardson County 4-H by June 15 of the current year to exhibit at the fair.
  • Exhibits are required to be pre-entered, either online or by paper form. Entries are due to the Extension Office or online by July 15. 
  • After entry, tags will be printed in the Extension Office. Tags need to be picked up prior to the fair and attached to the exhibit for judging and display. The Extension Office will let you know when tags are ready to be picked up.
  • All static exhibits brought to the fair for for judging and display need to meet the qualifications set forth in the fairbook. Some static areas have different requirements, so please read the qualifications for each department you plan to exhibit in.
  • Static exhibits are brought to the fair for check-in on Sunday, July 20. 4-H members must sign up for a time to bring their exhibits. Sign up here!

Additional rules and regulations for static exhibition can be found in the fairbook.

 

STATIC SUPPORT AUCTION

4-H members who exhibit 12 or more static projects in the Ag Building have the opportunity to place one of their static items on the Silent Static Support Auction. The item on the Static Support Auction is recommended to be one of the 4-H members best items (i.e. receiving a purple ribbon).

  • Youth have the option to release ownership or retain ownership of the project.
  • Any perishable item on the auction must be remade and delivered fresh to the supporter.
  • After the fair, 4-H members are responsible for making arrangements to deliver the item to the supporter.

More information on the Silent Static Support Auction and how to obtain a bidder number can be found in the fairbook.

 

IMPORTANT STATIC FORMS AND INFORMATION

Fair Contests

At the Richardson County 4-H & FFA Junior Fair contests available for participation by 4-H members include the fashion show, favorite foods revue, companion animal, interview judging, livestock judging, riding mower, ATV, tractor driving, and herdsmanship. These contests allow 4-H members to showcase their skills skills learned through various experiences. The following are initial rules and requirements to participate in contests at the Junior Fair:

  • 4-H and FFA members must be enrolled in Richardson County 4-H by June 15 of the current year to exhibit at the fair.
  • Most contest are required to be pre-entered, either online or by paper form. Entries are due to the Extension Office or online by June 15. Contests not requiring pre-entry are livestock judging, riding mower, ATV, and tractor driving; all other contests do require pre-entry.
  • Each contest area has different rules and qualifications. Be sure to read the contest section of the fairbook for each contest of interest.

Additional rules and regulations for the fair contests can be found in the fairbook.

 

IMPORTANT CONTEST FORMS AND INFORMATION