Trimble County is a very rural county along the Ohio River about half way in-between Louisville and Cincinnati OH. with 95% of the residents residing in Trimble County considered rural and only 5% making up urban residents. The Trimble County 4-H program, being in a more rural county, has had programs focused mainly on Agriculture topics. However there has been less and less kids each year growing up on or around farms, Trimble County 4-H is attempting to shift some of that focus from Agriculture towards more Science, Education, and urban topics. However with Trimble County being 95% rural, we do not want to completely stray from our focus on Agriculture.
            The Trimble County 4-H Livestock Club teaches children how to raise and show animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and swine. This past summer, our club had 27 participants involved, with one participant being in the Clover Bud (five to eight years old) program. The Trimble County Livestock Club has two Certified Livestock Volunteers leading this club.
            Each 4-H Livestock Club member and Clover Bud member is required to attend a minimum of six hours of education in order to be eligible to show at the Trimble County Fair under the 4-H/FFA class. Within those six hours of education, each member learns valuable information on topics surrounding their animal project. Topics such as breed identification, skeletal and external parts, feed additives, nutrients, rations and feeding management, and disease recognition. Topics that are also covered are; grooming, judging, and showmanship.
            Each summer culminating the 4-H members’ project, they are given the chance to show their project animal in the County Fair. 4-H members, who qualify, by having attended a minimum of six hours of education, and attending at least six County 4-H Livestock Club meetings, are eligible to auction off their animal at the end of the Trimble County Fair. Each member keeps possession of their animal, and the money donated by each auction buyer, goes directly to the 4-H member they bid on. The 4-H member can use the money they receive by auctioning off their animal however they would like. Some members use it to purchase their next animal project for the following year.  

           Recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our clubs were not allowed to meet in person.  This created a heavy burden on the Extension Agent and the Livestock club leaders to come up with alternative ways for the participants to be able to reach their six hours of education requirements.  After much discussion, the extension agent posted videos on the Trimble County Extension Service YouTube and Facebook pages for participants to view from home.  The Agent and the Livestock club leaders also created animal specific at-home study units to send to club participants who are showing those specific animals at the County Fair to count for their required hours.  In April of last year, when the Livestock Club was allowed to meet in person, the 4-H Agent implemented hybrid meetings offering in-person and Zoom attendance options.  Even with this Pandemic and the meeting guideline restrictions, Trimble County was still able to provide more than 6 hours of education to our club members who needed this education in order to qualify to show at our County Fair and at any District Show to qualify for the Kentucky State Fair.

            The livestock club was also concerned about how many potential buyers the Livestock Club Auction would have participate in our County Fair due to Covid-19 and the restrictions.  There was a total of 10 participants in the Trimble County Livestock Club that participated in the Trimble County 2021 Fair.  The 2021 Trimble County 4-H Livestock Premium Auction in July had 19 buyers, and the Livestock club raised $25,650 total.   Which in comparison to the 2019 Pre-Covid season is 650 more than was raised in 2019.