Ford-Iroquois 4-H Foundation Inc

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

FAIRENTRY CLOSES JUNE 1st!

If your projects are not entered by that date and you have not communicated an issue with the Extension office, you will be ineligible to exhibit at the county fair.

YQCA certificates are also due by June 1st.

If Extension does not receive your certificate, they will assume the training has not been completed, and you will be ineligible to exhibit at the county fair. YQCA is required annually for all members exhibiting Sheep, Swine, Cattle, and Goats. Members who attended the in-person training with Micaiah do not need to submit a certificate; this only applies to those who completed the training online.

QAEC must also be completed by June 1st

This training is required once during a member’s 4-H career and applies to ALL live animal projects, including Small Pets, Cats, and Dogs. QAEC can be completed through ZSuite. Members who have not completed QAEC by the deadline will be ineligible to exhibit live animals at the county fair.

05/25/2026

June 1 is the entry deadline for the Ford County Fair talent show. Don't miss this chance to show off your skills. Details and the entry form can be found by clicking on the talent show link at https://www.fordcountyfair.org/exhibitors.

05/23/2026

Have questions? Need to email a certificate? It’s fair time so give our 4-H lady Micaiah a call or email her.

05/22/2026

IROQUOIS COUNTY FAIR

The 2026 Iroquois County 4-H & Agricultural Fair will take place July 14–19. Please note that project judging will begin on Monday, July 13, and fair set-up will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 9:00 a.m.

PROJECT MANUALS

Many members are still missing project manuals, and several remain out of stock through National 4-H. Please contact the Extension office so we can help get you a project guide for your required classes.

FAIR UPDATES: AUCTION DETAILS & LIVESTOCK DROP-OFF CHANGES

Food Sale- Entries from Cooking 101, 201, 301, 401 and Food Decorating 4-H Classes are eligible to participate in the 4-H Food Sale. All other Foods classes are not eligible for the sale. If you plan to sell at the Iroquois County 4-H Food Auction, you will need to sign up as a seller in FairEntry. The 4-H Food Sale will be held on Tuesday, July 15th, at 2PM. As part of that process, please include how you (or your child) should be announced during the sale. Example: William Owens, son of Colton and Micaiah Owens
Livestock Auction-If you plan to sell at the Iroquois County Livestock Auction, you will need to sign up as a participant in FairEntry under your exhibited species. As part of that process, please include how you (or your child) should be announced during the sale. Example: William Owens, son of Colton and Micaiah Owens.

Arrival, Penning/Stalling, Check-in, and Release of Animals

Guidelines- Animal health papers or Coggins papers for horses will be checked prior to animal unloading. No animals may be unloaded prior to veterinary inspection of both the animals to be shown and the health papers. Animals will be visually inspected for precluding health issues by a staff member designated by the Iroquois County Fair Veterinarian. At the successful completion of the inspection, the veterinary staff will stamp the health papers and keep the papers until the end of the fair, and the exhibitor will be allowed to unload their animals. Swine will begin at 7 AM, and all other species will begin at 8 AM. Exhibitors will be allowed to unload tack and set up pens prior to conducting the veterinary inspections, but no animals are allowed in the barns until they have been inspected by the veterinary teams. Any exhibitor that unloads without complying with this prescribed veterinary health inspection will be disqualified from exhibiting and will be ordered to immediately remove their animals from the fairgrounds. No refunds will be issued.

4-H PROJECT PICK-UP

Projects will be released on Sunday, July 19 at 2 PM. You CAN NOT retrieve your projects before this time or you will forfeit your project premiums.

Delegates from each club need to report to the 4-H Building at 12:30 in order to help organize projects by club.

If you are unable to pick up your projects before 5:00 p.m., please make arrangements with your club leader.

EXHIBIT TAGS

Exhibit Tags will be enclosed with your fair packet mailing later in June; these are for all general projects. Make sure to check the information listed and attach the tag securely to each exhibit before you take your project to the fair.

FAIR PASSES

Fair Passes will be included in your June mailing for each 4-H Member showing at the fair. Cloverbuds are receiving passes as well. The Iroquois County Fair Board provides these passes. Please stop by the fair office or send them a short note thanking them for their generosity. DO NOT LOSE THIS PASS- Replacement passes WILL NOT be issued!

JUNIOR AND OPEN SHOWS

4-H members are also encouraged to enter items in the Fair’s Open & Junior Departments. Projects exhibited at last year’s 4-H show may be entered in this year’s Open or Junior Show. Info on how to enter can be found in the Iroquois County Fair website: www.iroquoiscofair.com

PRESENTATION OF CLUBS

The Presentation of Clubs takes place just before the Queen Contest. Club leaders and members should meet at the 4-H Building at 6:40 pm with their club banner. Members from each club will walk across the stage in front of the grandstand as their club's name is announced. This event is held in conjunction with the flag-raising ceremony conducted by high school 4-H members.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Adults and/or high school students are needed as grade recorders and project runners Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon. If you can help, please contact Micaiah at the Extension office.

STATE FAIR

State fair info is available online at http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf
For detailed State Fair 4-H Show information, please go to: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/4hstatefair/
State Fair delegate and alternate forms are due to Extension staff by 4:30 pm July 24th.
Our judging day at the Illinois State Fair is scheduled for August 16.

05/22/2026

Iroquois County 4-H families check your email for all the up to date fair information.

05/22/2026

FORD COUNTY FAMILIES CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR ALL THE UP TO DATE FORD FAIR INFORMATION

Many members are still missing project manuals, and several remain out of stock through National 4-H. Please contact the Extension office so we can help get you a project guide for your required classes. 

05/22/2026

4-H CODE OF CONDUCT REMINDER

All exhibitors, members, leaders, parents, families, and spectators must follow the Illinois 4-H Code of Conduct and treat others with respect at all times. Verbal or physical abuse toward youth, volunteers, staff, or judges will not be tolerated. Violations may result in disqualification, removal from the event, loss of premiums, and/or being required to leave the premises.

05/22/2026

FORD COUNTY FAIR

The 2026 Ford County 4-H & Agricultural Fair will take place June 13–20

PROJECT MANUALS

Many members are still missing project manuals, and several remain out of stock through National 4-H. Please contact the Extension office so we can help get you a project guide for your required classes.

4-H PROJECT PICK-UP

Projects will be released on Saturday, June 20th at 11 AM. You CAN NOT retrieve your projects before this time, or you will forfeit your project premiums.

If you are unable to pick up your projects before 1:00 p.m., please make arrangements with your club leader.

LIVESTOCK AND GENERAL PROJECTS JUDGING SCHEDULES

Something new this year: following the close of FairEntry on June 1, a sign-up for project judging time slots will be shared with families. Available time slots will be designated by project area, and all general projects must be signed up for in advance within the appropriate time slot. Projects that are not signed up for a time slot will be considered a scratch and will not be judged.

EVENT SCHEDULE
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EXHIBIT TAGS

Exhibit Tags will be available for pickup at our tagging station in the 4-H building; these are for all general projects. Make sure to check the information listed and attach the tag securely to each exhibit before you are judged.

PRESENTATION OF CLUBS

The Presentation of Clubs takes place at 6:55 PM, right before the queen pageant. Club leaders and members should meet at the 4-H Building at 6:30 pm with their club banner. Members from each club will walk across the stage in front of the grandstand as their club's name is announced. This event is held in conjunction with the flag-raising ceremony conducted by 4-H members from high school.

05/22/2026

UPCOMING DEADLINES

FairEntry closes on June 1. If your projects are not entered by that date and you have not communicated an issue with the Extension office, you will be ineligible to exhibit at the county fair.

YQCA certificates are also due by June 1. If I do not receive your certificate, I will assume the training has not been completed, and you will be ineligible to exhibit at the county fair. YQCA is required annually for all members exhibiting Sheep, Swine, Cattle, and Goats. Members who attended the in-person training with me do not need to submit a certificate; this only applies to those who completed the training online.

QAEC must also be completed by June 1. This training is required once during a member’s 4-H career and applies to ALL live animal projects, including Small Pets, Cats, and Dogs. QAEC can be completed through ZSuite. Members who have not completed QAEC by the deadline will be ineligible to exhibit live animals at the county fair.

05/22/2026

Judging Conflicts and Absentee Judging


Conflicts- If you have any judging conflicts due to showing livestock or other projects at the same time, you should contact the Extension office prior to the fair to arrange a time to be judged. This also applies to showing livestock when additional assistance may be needed. The member should also find Extension staff when they arrive for judging. Every effort will be made to accommodate the 4-H member… however, judges will not wait for a late exhibitor unless arrangements have been made.

Absences- If the 4-H member is unable to attend to exhibit their project and participate in Conference Judging, he/she may complete a special report form, 4-H Exhibit Report Form, and attach it to the project. Any project judged without conference judging will not be eligible for any special awards including state fair delegate and alternate honors. The 4-H Exhibit Report may be used in lieu of a face-to-face judging IF the report is submitted to and approved by Extension staff at least 5 days before the show.*

*The project will only be eligible for state delegate or alternate honors if the 4-H member fully completes the 4-H Exhibit Report and makes arrangements to speak with the judge via phone or video (no WiFi will be provided by Extension) during scheduled judging time.

**In case of illness or other emergency, it will be at the discretion of the Extension staff if the project will be eligible for state delegate or alternate honors