The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic brought all Kentucky 4-H Youth Development programming to an abrupt halt in March 2020.  Parents, educators, and local communities began learning how to function in a way that no one had experienced before.  One of Extension’s strengths is its flexibility across counties and states to address local needs to achieve locally desired outcomes (Diem, 2016).   This statement could not be any truer than in the current environment of COVID-19 and the impact it has, and continues to have, on both formal and in-formal education, the students and those that administer those learning opportunities.  The Meade County 4-H Youth Development program was able to continue its collaboration with the Meade County Fair Board and local FFA Organization to offer its 4-H/FFA livestock and 4-H project members an opportunity to finish out their project year by participating in livestock shows and a 4-H Project Showcase event.

              To ensure the fair was able to provide an avenue for residents to showcase their projects and to allow for youth livestock shows to continue, a three-day fair was held in late July.  The 4-H Youth Development Agent worked with the Meade County Auction Committee and livestock project leaders to begin discussing how fair show options could be provided to members.  The committee, adhering to current COVID-19 guidelines for personal safety and livestock show guidelines, was able to modify livestock show participation so that members could still show their animals and participate in the annual livestock auction.  While shows were held as in-person events, the auction was moved to an online format so that COVID-19 gathering guidelines could be followed.   Fifty youth were able to show their swine, goat, sheet and beef project animals in the ring for judges and 49 youth opted to sell in the online auction which garnered a total payout to youth exhibitors of $97,581; $68,000 from the online auction and almost $30,000 is straight donations from various community supporters that would be divvied out among the auction consignors.

              In addition to the larger livestock projects, the Meade County 4-H Rabbit and Poultry Clubs were able to have their fair contest offsite at the Meade County Extension Office pavilion in early August.  The 4-H Youth Development Agent worked with the club leaders to modify the competition classes, arrange for a show location and to communicate event information to project members and their families.  The leaders recruited a judge for each of the shows and served as show superintendents during the event assuring that all members (and their supervising adult) adhered to the COVID-19 guidelines for social distancing and facial coverings.  A total of 13 youth participated in 20 different classes with their project animals.   The animal projects were judged and awarded ribbons based on the Danish judging system and overall grand champion (rabbit and poultry) and grand reserve champion (rabbit and poultry) winners were presented with ribbons and banners.

              The traditional 4-H project entry process was not an option at the county fair due to COVID-19 restrictions, so it was important that project members have an opportunity to submit and exhibit their projects for the year.  With that in mind, the 4-H Youth Development Agent created the 2020 4-H Project Showcase event for those members that had been working on general 4-H projects throughout the year as well.  A total of five youth entered 25 exhibits for judging.   The Garrett Extension Homemakers club sponsored the project showcase by donating $200 that would go towards the ribbon premiums that 4-H exhibitors would typically receive through fair board funding (which was not available in 2020) during the county fair.  The projects were judged and awarded ribbons based on the Danish judging system and an overall “Best In Show” project was chosen to receive a banner and 4-H camping chair.  Ribbon premiums were given for blue, red and white ribbons as well as division champion.   One of the youth that entered several of the photography categories indicated that she had received a professional level camera for Christmas and had enjoyed using it to take photos for her 4-H photography project work; she attributed her enjoyment of photography back to her previous participation in 4-H Photography day camps over the past couple of summers.  

              To promote and success of the youth involved in the 4-H Project showcase and the Rabbit and Poultry shows, the 4-H Youth Development Agent took photos of each project and created a slideshow that was posted on Facebook, Instagram and the Meade County 4-H YouTube Channel to not only share the exhibitor’s excellent project work, but to hopefully inspire and motivate others to choose 4-H project work for the upcoming program year.  Since 4-H Cloverville at the 2020 Kentucky State Fair was cancelled, the State 4-H Office provided an online opportunity for youth to showcase their projects from their local county fair.  The Meade County 4-H Youth Development Agent submitted 24 projects on behalf of the 5 youth by submitting photographs of their projects to be highlighted in a state level 4-H slide show during the events at the 2020 KY State Fair.

              Through the efforts of locally invested community members and 4-H families, these 4-H members were able to bring to close their 4-H project work for the 2019-2020 project year even in times of COVID-19 restrictions.  One parent shared her appreciation when she stated, “I had told them [her children] to not even expect any type of money for project work this year.  So, the fact that they were awarded premium money because of a local donation is a huge surprise and wonderful ending to their projects!  It is not expected, but a wonderful bonus to an otherwise very difficult year.”