Scaled-down county fair gives 4-H Club exhibitors space to shine

by Erica Peterson  

The Medina County Fair is  a  significant  event for  local  4-H Club members. Hinckley  resident Heidi  Yatsko, head adviser of the  Spunky Spurs  group  for 27 years,  likens it to a “final exam,” the culmination of months of work for each child.  

But this year,  she  gave  serious consideration to  not attending amid safety concerns about the pandemic.  

“When they were going to have a full fair, our family was thinking about not taking part in it,”  Yatsko  said.  

That changed when the state mandated that all county fairs be limited to junior fairs, meaning that only youth exhibits by 4-H and FFA clubs would be allowed. No rides, carnivals or grandstand events would be permitted.  

“I’m glad they did that, even though I’m sure it was a big revenue loss for the fair,” she said.  

Yatsko  and her husband, George, have four children: Jager, 24; Matthew, 21; Domonique, 13; and Georgie, 11. The two youngest are active members of the Spunky Spurs and attended the fair.  All but four of the 21  members of the Spunky Spurs  decided to take part in  the  fair,  Yatsko  said.  The group’s members come from Hinckley, Brunswick, Granger and Valley City.  

Other Hinckley 4-H groups include the Hinckley Highlanders, led by Suzy Marquis, and the Backyard Buzzards, under Julie  Mainzer.  

Fair participation  is not a requirement for 4-H membership, but most members do exhibit their projects there,  Yatsko  said.  

“It’s the main week they get to shine and show off their skills and showmanship,” she said.  

Club members have more than 200 projects from which to choose. Many involve farming and livestock, but not all. Projects cover a wide  range  of  activities, including sewing, cooking, welding and construction, Yatsko  said. And if members want to pursue a project that’s not covered in the program, they can create their own.  

It’s that variety that attracted her to 4-H. She’s been involved with the club since she became a member in fourth grade.  

“With that complete diversity – members can be boys and girls, ages 5 to 18 – and 200-plus projects, the learning opportunities are huge,”  Yatsko  said.  

Members must create one project a year and can do up to 10. They begin projects in April, preparing to show them off at the  county  fair in August.  

During a normal year, much activity happens in the weeks right before the fair, when final touches are made and judging occurs. Non-livestock projects are judged two or three weeks before the fair, and  the  projects are exhibited at the fair with their ribbons.  

This year, judging took place at the club level. Yatsko  said each club decided the format, some opting for Zoom and others in-person.  

The Spunky Spurs decided to do judging in a science fair style, with each member setting up their exhibit outside at  Brongers  Park, physically distanced from each other. Everyone wore masks, and advisers traveled to each exhibit, where club members described their projects. The projects were then displayed at the fair.  

Live stock  projects are normally  judged  throughout fair week, competing against others in their class in show arenas.  

“The kids work all year on how to show the particular species they have,”  Yatsko  said.  

The animals are then sold at the fair. Most parents use the proceeds for their child’s college fund, she said.  

All exhibitors  compile project books, which are upwards of 50 pages and detail  the months of preparation. For livestock projects, that includes detailed  record-keeping of veterinarian visits and other  specifics about the animal’s care.  

“It’s not just ‘raise an animal, go to the fair and get money,”  Yatsko  said. “Quality assurance is mandatory.”  

All winners  are announced at the fair, where participants celebrate their hard work with the traditional county fair entertainment.  

Things were different this year. Only those directly involved with the fair and the exhibitions were admitted.  

“This year, each 4-Her got 10 extra tickets, so they could bring grandma and grandpa to watch them show, or to bring buyers for the livestock show,”  Yatsko  said.  

Though it was quite different than a normal county fair, the junior fair had benefits, she said.  

“Yes, they got  rid of  the  thrills,  but  it was calm and  quiet,” she said. “It felt like our own private fair.”  

Most parents she talked to enjoyed the changes, Yatsko  said.  

“I heard multiple people here say, ‘I like this.’ It was quiet and private, and parents felt safe sending their kids from one barn to the next,”  she said.  

It was also a great learning atmosphere, she said, with all the focus on the projects. Exhibitors were able to spread out, taking advantage of the empty venues. And judges were able to spend more time with each child.  

Yatsko  was impressed with the safety measures taken,  including limiting attendance to show arena competitions to just participants and their families. Parents stayed outside the venue until their child competed.  

There  were  regular public address  announcements reminding fairgoers to wear masks and physically distance. “They had 55-gallon drums of Purell available,” she said.  

Though it felt strange to walk through the virtually empty midway, she said there were about 20 food concession stands spread throughout the fairgrounds, giving the children some sense of normalcy. “And, there were no lines!”  she  said.  

The biggest concern among fair participants was that there would be no buyers for the livestock  auction, Yatsko  said.  

“We were probably down 50 percent of the animals than normal,” she said. “Some did secure buyers, but some buyers didn’t feel comfortable attending. We were worried that no people would come.”  

Thankfully,  that was not the case. Buyers did attend and sat spread out around the auction area. Fair organizers also established a proxy bid system, so buyers could call in their bids and pay over the phone with credit cards.  

“The community really stepped forward,” Yatsko  said. “Businesses supported 4-H members and really supported the children.”  

She was pleasantly surprised to see that sale prices were close to normal.  

“Our buyers went above and beyond,’’ she said. “They didn’t have to bid normal prices  and  could have gotten  them  really cheap this year. I’m really proud that with  this  economy, businesses really stepped up.”  For Medina County Junior Fair results, visit fairentry.com/Fair/Results/14388.

Feature image photo caption: Hinckley siblings and Spunky Spurs 4-H group members Domonique and Georgie Yatsko participated in this year’s limited Medina County Fair. Their mother Heidi, head adviser of the Spunky Spurs, said the limited fair shined a spotlight on youth exhibitors. Photos courtesy H. Yatsko