Sherburne County Fair
Information for Sherburne County 4-H members
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Welcome to the Sherburne County 4-H County Fair website! This site is designed to be a one stop shop for all of your County Fair information! We look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you at the fair this year. It is always so rewarding to see all the learning and growth 4-H members have achieved this year through their 4-H project learning. If you have a question that isn't listed on here, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at mnext-sherburne@umn.edu or 763-765-3075.
Welcome to the Sherburne County 4-H County Fair website! This site is designed to be a one stop shop for all of your County Fair information! We look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you at the fair this year. It is always so rewarding to see all the learning and growth 4-H members have achieved this year through their 4-H project learning. If you have a question that isn't listed on here, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at mnext-sherburne@umn.edu or 763-765-3075.
Important Dates
Important Dates
The County Fair is a busy yet exciting time of year! In an effort to keep things as easy as possible, here are some important dates to remember. Please check the 4-H Events Calendar for specific meeting times and locations as they become available.
Sherburne County Fair | July 16 - July 19
Sherburne County Fair | July 16 - July 19
18335 Joplin St NW, Elk River, MN 55330
- February 18, 2020 - Animal ID Deadline for Market Beef & Dairy Steer.
- April 18, 2020 - LQA&E Training (In Person Option in Sherburne County) for youth exhibiting animals. Certification is required in order to go to MN State Fair (grades 6+)
- April 26, 2020 - County Fair Work Night, cleaning and preparation of the Exhibit Building and Food Stand
- May 1, 2020 - Sherburne County Fair Premium Book becomes available online and in print (available for pickup in the Extension Office).
- May 15, 2020 - Animal ID Deadline for all other species. Click HERE to learn more.
- May 16, 2020 - FairEntry opens, youth can now sign up to register their exhibits!
- May 18, 2020 - Fair Registration Online Video Training (ideal for new members)
- May 31, 2020 - County Fair Work Night, cleaning and preparation of the Exhibit Building and Food Stand
- June 15, 2020 - County Fair Registration Deadline. FairEntry registration closes. Animal Housing Requests are due in the Extension Office by 4:30pm.
- June 28, 2020 - Sherburne County Dog Show* (pre-fair judging for Dog Show)
- June 28, 2020 - County Fair Work Night, cleaning and preparation of the Exhibit Building and Food Stand
- June 30, 2020 - Sherburne County 4-H Showcase (pre-fair judging for performing arts & fashion)
- July 6, 2020 - County Fair Orientation. Ideal for new 4-H members to prepare for the county fair experience. Also, County Fair Work Night, cleaning and preparation of the Exhibit Building and Food Stand.
- July 6, 2020 - LQA&E Deadline for Sherburne County 4-Hers in grade 6+ hoping to go to Minnesota State Fair
- July 13, 2020 - County Fair Work Night, cleaning and preparation of the Exhibit Building and Food Stand
- July 14, 2020 - County Fair General Project Exhibit Judging Day
- July 15, 2020 - Animal Check In for Sherburne County Fair
- July 16, 2020 - July 19 - Sherburne County Fair is open to the public
- July 19, 2020 - State Fair Meetings
- July 19, 2020 - 6PM All Exhibits Released
- August 17-18, 2020 - State Fair Project Drop-Off
- August 27 - September 7, 2020 - Minnesota State Fair
- September 9-11, 2020 - State Fair Project Pick-Up
*TBD, the following event dates are to be determined.
- Livestock Quality Assurance Training (LQA&E) | Available online and also in person. Sherburne Counties date for the in person training is to be determined.
4-H County Fair Schedule
4-H County Fair Schedule
Check back here for updates on the County Fair schedule day by day! Details will also be available in the 2020 Sherburne County 4-H Premium Book after May 1, 2020.
Please note that during the County Fair week, the Extension Office will be relocated on the Fairgrounds in the 4-H Exhibit Building. We will be available in person or via email during this time at mnext-sherburne@umn.edu.
Getting Started
Getting Started
Are you new to 4-H? If YES, please check out this helpful county fair video from Danielle Ganje, created for new families!
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(Please note, some of the dates mentioned in the video are from last year so it's best to refer to the dates above for more accurate information in 2020)
Animal ID
Animal ID
- Plan on showing an animal in the County Fair? If you answered YES, please note 4-H requires an Animal ID on the following animals for health, safety and fairness: market beef (February 18th), dairy steer (February 18th), breeding beef, dairy, dairy goat, dog, horse, lama, meat goat, poultry,* rabbit, sheep & swine.
- The deadline to ID your animals is May 15th (except where noted above). This is done in 4HOnline and depending on the animal, has different requirements such as tattoos, ear tags, name, breed, birth date, vaccinations, etc. We encourage you to ID any animals you think you might bring to the County Fair! It's best practice to ID them all by the statewide deadline of May 15th and then later decide which ones you will actually bring when you register them for the County Fair.
To get more information on the Animal ID process and requirements, click HERE.
Need a step by step guide on how to enter this information into 4HOnline? Click HERE
*Poultry (only pigeons & doves need to be ID'd. Chickens, geese, turkey and ducks do NOT need to be ID'd)
Premium Book
Premium Book
- To help you with your county fair entries, exhibit selection and registration - the 2020 Premium Book will be available May 1, 2020! Think of the Premium Book as your go-to guide for all things county fair! In it you will find county fair schedules, rules, information, and exhibit/entry information for each project area. Use it to help you select what projects you will be bringing and refer to it often to help answer any questions you may have.
- View the Premium Book online from previous years here: z.umn.edu/2019SherburnePremiumBook Printed hard copies of the Premium Book are also available at the Extension office after May 1, 2020 (located in the Government Center in Elk River). We encourage you to check out the premium book now to get started on some of those exhibits early!
*Please note each county may have a slightly different Premium Book customized to their local fair but it's based off of the Minnesota State Fair Premium Book and is updated each year so exhibits and requirements are subject to change. Also, the Sherburne County 4-H Premium Book will have it noted by certain exhibits if they are NOT eligible to go to the Minnesota State Fair.
Fair Registration
Fair Registration
- Once you know what you plan to exhibit at the fair to be judged, the next step is to register! Registration will open May 16 - June 15, 2020 in FairEntry. You may do so online at https://sherburne.fairentry.com (Log in using your 4HOnline enrollment log-in information).
- There are three areas in the Premium Book you will want to note that you can register in: General Projects, Animal Science Projects and Club/Group Project*. You can have multiple entries into the same area. For example, you can enter three times into the Photography section unless it's otherwise noted in the description.
- *Please note, your Club Leader will register your" Club Projects" by completing a form and submitting it to the Extension Office. You do not need to register for the Club Projects such as Hay Bale decorating, Club Banners, Parade Floats, etc... individually.
- For help on registering your projects for the fair, Minnesota 4-H has some helpful guides and tutorial videos online. Visit the Register 4-H Entries at your County Fair section of the website to view.
- If you are registering an animal in the county fair, you will also want to complete and send in the "Housing Request Form" to the Extension Office by the same deadline on June 15, 2020. It is used to the help staff and volunteers determine the amount of cages and space needed for the animals during the fair. These forms are located in the Premium Book and can be dropped off in person or emailed in to mnext-sherburne@umn.edu NEW in 2020 - Housing Request Forms are also available online HERE!
Exhibit Ideas & Judging
Exhibit Ideas & Judging
Minnesota 4-H follows conference style judging, which means your project will be judged in two ways:
- 50% Quality
- There is predefined criteria for each project area. To review the requirements, we encourage you to review the Sherburne County Premium Book and also the Project Evaluation sheet that is posted on the University of Minnesota Extension website under each project area. Examples of what judges are looking for includes; general appearance, use of materials, and evidence of learning.
- 50% Conversation with Judge
- Your conversation with the judge might include an explanation of your project and answering questions. Bottom line is, don't worry! 4-H judges are there to encourage you and help you grow. Some questions they may ask are:
- Why did you choose this project?
- What steps did you take?
- What did you learn?
- What challenges did you face?
- What would you do to grow in this project area in the future?
- Your conversation with the judge might include an explanation of your project and answering questions. Bottom line is, don't worry! 4-H judges are there to encourage you and help you grow. Some questions they may ask are:
After your judging and feedback, you will receive a ribbon! For more information about the ribbons, please check out "4-H Awards & Placings" below. Also, be sure to check out the "Youth Guide to 4-H Judging" video from Hennepin County with more information! ------------------------------------------------------------>
4-H Awards & Placings
4-H Awards & Placings
Curious what those ribbon colors mean? Check out this helpful image to learn about the different placings at the County Fair! Different ribbon colors also mean different premium amounts, which are monetary rewards for placings. Premiums are paid by the Sherburne County Fair Board and are typically mailed a few weeks after the fair. For details and amounts, please visit the Premium Book.
Minnesota State Fair Eligibility
Minnesota State Fair Eligibility
There are a limited number of spots in each county for youth going to the Minnesota State Fair. In order to be eligible for a trip to the Minnesota State Fair, youth must meet the following:
- Completed grade 6 or higher*
- Selected by judges from "Blue Ribbons" and indicated on the State Fair lineup sheets (posted in the 4-H Exhibit Building during the fair)
- Youth showing livestock must also complete the LQA&E training BEFORE the County Fair if they wish to be eligible for the Minnesota State Fair
- Must attend the mandatory Minnesota State Fair meeting on Sunday of the County Fair and register online for the Minnesota State Fair before the end of the day Sunday.
- Can only go for one General Project and one Animal Science Project:
- For example, if your youth was eligible for a State Fair trip in Photography and Food Preservation, they would need to select ONE of the General Projects to bring, not both.
- They can qualify in both Animal Project and General Project. Another example would be if they qualified for a State Fair trip in Rabbit, under the Animal Science Project and Photography under the General Projects. In this case, they can participate in both!
*Completed grade 6 or higher UNLESS they are participating in a club "Share-the-Fun" act, in which youth K-12 can register for those and attend the Minnesota State Fair.
Help Needed
Help Needed
Leading up to the fair we will also need for volunteers to help with some important duties.
"Many Hands Make Light Work."
Help is needed in the following areas:
- Clean up & work night at the Fairgrounds...Getting the Food Stand, Animal Barns and Exhibit Building in tip top shape for the public takes a lot of work but collectively we can get it done in no time! Work days will take place the last Sunday of the month April - June from 3-6pm.
Sign up COMING SOON!
- Food Stand shifts...Did you know the Food Stand is the primary fundraiser for our 4-H program!? In order to run the food stand we will need volunteers to help take orders, handle the cash register, clean the food stand during the fair, and prepare the food for the public. Shifts are short and are also a great learning opportunity for youth! It teaches them about money handling, food safety and customer service! All members are expected to work at least one shift in the foodstand.
Sign up COMING SOON!
- Volunteer to help be a Judge's Assistants and cover the Children's Barnyard...Judge Assistants are needed to help hand out ribbons, record placings and be the "go to" for judges during the fair. We will also need assistance in the Children's Animal Barn, helping the public through the petting zoo and handing out fun prizes!
Sign up COMING SOON!
Have a question? Check out our County Fair - Frequently Asked Questions Page for more information!
Have a question? Check out our County Fair - Frequently Asked Questions Page for more information!
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