Policies and procedures

Section 4: 4-H Project and Competitive Events Guidelines

• 4.1 Competition and Youth Development
• 4.2 Project Exhibitions
• 4.3 Project Experience
• 4.4 Definition of Competitive Event
• 4.5 Criteria for Competitive Event
• 4.6 Exhibition Deadlines
• 4.7 Exhibition Guidelines
• 4.8 Guidelines for Animal Exhibits
• 4.9 Food Safety Rule for Foods Entered into County and Statewide Competitions
• 4.10 4-H Opportunity for All
• 4.11 Royalty Contests
• 4.12 Grievance/Appeal Guidelines for County 4-H Program Issues (Activities, Programs, Projects)
  • 4.12.1 Grievance Form

4.1 Competition and Youth Development

4-H’s mission is to empower youth to reach their full potential through working and learning in partnership with caring adults. Many volunteers and staff work to assist youth in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable them to become productive and contributing members of society. It is important for adults to keep this goal in mind and recognize that youth need to learn how to complete projects, not someone else. While there are obviously differences in the abilities of third grade students as compared to twelfth-grade students, the potential for youth to learn is always greatest when youth are responsible for completing the various aspects of their project.

In competitive events, parents and others focusing on winning the competition and not on developing the youth can overlook the mission of youth development. The following principles should be recognized for determining rules regarding 4-H members doing their own work.

• Help from family members is appropriate for some aspects of the However, the exhibitors should have increased responsibility as they mature in their project skills. 

• Teamwork is a life skill and working together with other 4-H'ers is appropriate. 

• Professionals or individuals who are paid to do similar work and are older than 4-H age and not related to the youth, should not be involved in aspects of the project that are directly related to exhibition and competition. Along with principles, the following questions should be asked for determining rules regarding 4-H members doing their own work: 
  • Is the 4-H member capable of completing the work, even if the level of expertise is different from other youth or adults?
  • Are other youth of similar age capable of completing the work? Is the assistance offered by other exhibitors or family members focused on competition for exhibition or is the youth involved in the process and able to improve his/her own skills?

4.2 Project Exhibitions

Exhibition of 4-H projects/subjects in local, county, or state exhibits/fairs, in person or virtually, is voluntary on the part of the exhibitor. The exhibition of 4-H projects/subjects provides 4-H members an opportunity to display their 4-H projects/subjects, enter competition, and participate in an educational/social environment with peers. With exhibition also comes the responsibility for abiding by all the terms and conditions pertaining to the respective 4-H project.

4.3 Project Experience

A 4-H experience may include a variety of options and must not be misinterpreted solely as exhibition of a project at a local, county, or state fair. There are a number of ways that a young person may participate in the 4-H Youth Development Program in addition to the club-based option. Participating in these 4-H opportunities enables the youth to build skills that will serve them well throughout their adult lives.
Some of these participation options do not include the preparation of a specific exhibit by an individual that would be on display at a fair or similar event. In some cases, the youths’ actual participation may be the final product that results in their completion of a year of 4-H. Some examples of this participation include working as a team to develop a robot for a workshop or challenge; participating in camp or on campus experience; taking part in a science training or experiment; participating in an after school 4-H experience; etc.

Language of “completing” a 4-H experience should be avoided or requiring a specific output. Every 4-H'ers experience may be different. 4-H members are considered complete in their 4-H educational experience for the year when they have:

1. completed the 4-H member enrollment process; and
2. member participates in a 4-H educational experience

Members may choose to complete a record sheet to document their annual project work. This can be very helpful when preparing information for scholarships and applications. The 4-H record sheet will be based on printed or web-based educational materials (used by Indiana 4-H Youth Development), but is not required.

Though exhibiting in local, county, and state exhibits/fairs is not required for project completion, as it does not necessarily relate directly to content and skills learned in the development of the 4-H project, project exhibition is encouraged as a continuation of the educational experience.

Per state and federal guidelines, volunteers and Extension Professionals may not require youth to attend 4-H club meetings in order to complete 4-H or exhibit their work. Safety meetings may be required for some projects with approval from the county 4-H Professional and alternatives (multiple safety meetings dates or a variety of meeting formats such as in person or virtual) must be offered.

4.4 Definition of Competitive Event

A 4-H competitive event is one in which 4-H members compete individually or as teams for special recognition. The term “event” is used for 4-H divisions/classes and activities that are part of a larger program, which includes non-4-H competitive events, as well as those events exclusively 4-H. 4-H competitive events include judging contests, presentations, project exhibits and other performance events open to 4-H members. When competition is a major part of an event, it must be understood that competition is secondary to the education and development of youth.

4.5 Criteria for Competitive Event

Criteria for competitive events in 4-H include:

• Sponsored/co-sponsored and/or conducted by Purdue University Extension Professionals and/or approved 4-H Volunteers (adult and youth volunteers).
• Approved by and/or conducted by Extension staff responsible for the
• Rules and regulations established by or approved by Extension staff responsible for the
• Open to participation by 4-H members from county, group of counties, district, state, region, or
• Participants must be enrolled in 4-H during the current 4-H
• Approval has been obtained to use the 4-H name and
• Utilize the 4-H name and emblem in promotion and
• Provide a safe and healthy environment with a positive educational experience for

4.6 Exhibition Deadlines

4-H project exhibitions occur through a variety of methods: county fairs, career development events, and other statewide competitive events. The following statewide deadlines will be followed by all county programs annually:

• May 15 – All animals requiring 4-H Animal Identification (in accordance with Board of Animal Health regulations) must be identified in 4-H Online to meet Indiana State Fair exhibition eligibility
• Counties may identify a Fair Exhibition Entry date that is no less than 5 business days or more than 15 business days before county fair static project check in. Counties must publicize their selected date by January 1 of each year.
• All exhibits must be entered into FairEntry for the county of exhibition to show at the county fair.
• Any 4-H exhibitor arriving at the county fair to check-in an animal or non-animal exhibit and has not completed the FairEntry process will not be permitted to advance through the fair’s check-in process until entry has been completed in FairEntry. There may be no other consequence assigned.
• 4-H'ers exhibiting beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, poultry and rabbits must complete Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care or Youth for the Quality Care for Animals (YQCA). Purdue Extension Professionals will provide multiple opportunities for youth in their county and/or region to complete the Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care in-person program. 4-H exhibitors may complete online YQCA up to project check in for their livestock projects. Any 4-H exhibitor failing to complete QLC or YQCA before arriving at the fair to check-in their animal(s) will not be permitted to advance through the fair’s check-in process until YQCA has been completed online.
  • A 4-H member may add or drop a project(s) adjusting their 4-H Online enrollment until that project’s scheduled fair check-in closes. Animals requiring a May 15 identification cannot be added to 4-H Online after this May 15 deadline.

Note: the May 15 deadline referenced above will be extended to the following business day in a year when May 15 falls on a weekend or holiday.

4.7 Exhibition Guidelines

4-H project exhibitions occur through a variety of methods. Some examples include county fairs, career development events, and other statewide competitive events. Some competitive events have specific requirements (e.g. state robotics, career development events, performing arts, tractor operator skills, etc). Guidelines for these specific competitive events can be found on the Indiana 4-H website.

During a single program year, a 4-H member can enroll in the county of their choice and may enroll in clubs and/or projects in other counties. For example, a youth may enroll as a 4-H Member in Lincoln County, but may then enroll in the llama club in Hoover County. A youth may only exhibit each project in one county. For example, a youth may show their beef project in Lincoln County and their fine arts projects in Hoover County, but they may not show beef in multiple counties. The county of enrollment is at the discretion of the parent or legal guardian.

A county may not impose restrictions or consequences that restrict access to participation in 4-H opportunities including exhibition, trips, events, judge evaluation, etc. For example, a youth may not be restricted from exhibiting at the county fair based on additional requirements added at the local/county level (e.g. green folders, record of achievements, record sheets, missed deadlines, incorrect classes, and/or missing or incorrect paperwork. The county 4-H Professional has discretion over all exhibition eligibility requirements and decisions.

Awards including ribbons, scholarships, banners, premiums and all honors that have been awarded to a 4-H member cannot be removed as a consequence.

4.8 Guidelines for Animal Exhibits

Each 4-H member shall own his/her 4-H exhibit. Ownership, personal possession, and regular care of the animal must be in effect on or before the May 15 animal ID deadline and continuously until after the 4-H show at the county and/or state fair.

1. For 4-H breeding animals: family corporations and/or partnerships of 4-H members with one or more parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or legal guardians are acceptable.
2. For 4-H dairy cattle: family corporations and/or partnerships of the 4-H member with unrelated persons or dairy operations are also acceptable.
3. Dairy cows (as long as the animal is being shown by same 4-H'er from 2020 and forward) and heifers, horses, ponies, alpacas and llamas may be leased subject to approval of both the county 4-H dairy, horse and pony, or llama committee and the respective County Extension Professional. 4-H animals (horse and pony, dairy, alpacas and llamas) are only eligible to be leased by a single 4-H member in a 4-H program year.
4. 4-H animals are expected to be in the possession and regular care of the 4-H member who owns/leases them (unless other arrangements have been agreed upon by the County 4-H Extension Professional) from the animal ID deadline until the conclusion of the county and/or state fair.
5. 4-H market animals and commercial animals must be individually identified and verified under the supervision of the county 4-H program at county identification events by May 15^th each year (or the following business day if the 15^th falls on a weekend or holiday). These species include market lambs and commercial ewes, dairy wethers, dairy feeder steers, dairy beef steers, beef steers, market and commercial heifers, meat goat wethers, and market wether dams.
6. 4-H animals purchased, sold or offered for sale after the ID deadline and prior to the Indiana State Fair (including animals that have gone through a "Premium Only Auction"), shall not be eligible to show in the 4-H show at the Indiana State Fair. Sale of products of animals (milk, cheese, wool, etc.) in lieu of the animal, are considered equivalent to a "Premium Only Auction."
7. 4-H animals exhibited after the May 15 (or the following business day if the 15^th falls on a weekend or holiday) State 4-H animal ID deadline at any show by anyone other than the individual whose 4-H enrollment record is connected to the ID of the animal in Indiana 4-H Online will not be eligible to be shown in the 4-H show at the Indiana State Fair. This term/condition does not apply to siblings, who may show each other’s animals at any show during the year without jeopardizing State Fair eligibility. 4-H animals that are selected by 4-H Extension Staff or 4-H Adult Volunteers for use in supreme showmanship contests (Master Showmanship, Round Robin, etc.) may be used in those county events without jeopardizing State Fair eligibility. This policy applies to all 4-H animal projects. For animal projects without state ID deadlines, the person who enters them in the Indiana State Fair 4-H show is the equivalent of the owner of the animals.
8. Temporary guardianships established for the intent of animal exhibition or grooming purposes are not permitted and shall result in immediate disqualification.

See State Fair Terms and Conditions section of this handbook for the Indiana State Fair species ownership guidelines.

4.9 Food Safety Rule for Foods Entered into County and Statewide Competitions

Beginning in the year 2000, all county and state fair handbooks must contain the entire policy as stated below:

 For Food Competitions: Fillings, frostings, glazes, and meringues are not permitted to contain cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, or whipped cream if they are not fully cooked/baked. These items are allowed as ingredients in food products IF the final product is cooked/baked. Additionally, raw milk, raw milk products or uncooked eggs/egg whites are not permitted. Eggs/egg whites that have been cooked to 160oF (i.e. pasteurized or included as part of a batter and baked) are acceptable. No home- canned fruits, vegetables, or meats are permitted as ingredients in food products.

Fresh-cut, uncooked, fruits and/or vegetables are not permitted to be used in food products or used as garnishes for the product. Foods should be transported to the competition in a way that minimizes contamination and maintains the quality of the food (i.e. foods that are judged as frozen should remain frozen at all times).

Recipes must be provided that identifies all ingredients that were used in each part of the product. Any ingredient that could be a potential allergen must be clearly identified. Each food product must be labeled with the following information:

• Name
• Date the food product was made

 Contestants should carefully wash their hands and make sure that their hands do not have any open cuts before preparing foods. If cuts are present, the wound should be bandaged and a single use food service glove worn on the hand during all stages of food production. Contestants should not be preparing food exhibits for competition within 48 hours of recovering from any illness. People experiencing symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and/or jaundice should not be allowed to prepare food.

Judges and individuals who will consume products from county and/or state competitions should be informed that they are at risk for foodborne illness since the established policy cannot guarantee that an entry has been properly prepared or handled before, during or following the competition. The food products for competitions are home produced and processed and the production area is not inspected by the Indiana State Department of Health. Tasting of a food product is solely at the discretion of the judge and consumers. Judges are NOT to taste any home preserved foods such as low-acid or acidified foods like green beans, tomatoes or tomato products, jams/jellies/fruit preserves or fermented products produced in the home.