4-H adapts after county fairs get canceled

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Businesses, sporting events, concert venues, theaters, restaurants and schools aren’t the only organizations feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The nation’s largest youth development organization, 4‑H, is responding after having local county fairs shuttered due to the COVID outbreak.

4-H helps children and their families gain the skills needed to develop ideas for a more innovative economy by raising and selling livestock at farm shows and fairs. 

In 4‑H programs, children and teens complete hands-on projects in areas such as health, science, agriculture and civic engagement. They receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. 

Children experience 4‑H in every county in the nation through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs and 4‑H camps.

But county fairs and agricultural shows are being canceled across the country, leaving kids with groomed animals but no buyers.

In Pennsylvania, Penn State’s 4-H Youth Development Division of Cooperative Extension is responsible for planning, organizing and supervising 4-H work throughout the state.

The 2020 Washington County Agricultural Fair was canceled due to the pandemic. At the same time, the fair board voted to preserve the Junior Livestock Market Competition to be held Aug. 20 to 22. This will allow hundreds of children and their families to show the animals they have been nurturing and preparing for months.

Many of the those families will be from the county’s Pike Run 4-H Club, but the event is not affiliated with the Penn State 4-H group.

“As a family we’re relieved that the event is letting us bring our animals,” said Pike Run 4-H Organizational Leader David Lowden. “We’ve worked with those animals for a long time.”

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