The Lincoln County 4-H Achievement Days will see some changes in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to rules from the state 4-H office, no spectators will be allowed at 4-H events this summer. Besides no spectators at livestock shows, that also means static exhibits will be judged and then sent home with no public viewing. The 4-H member exhibiting an animal or bringing static exhibits may be accompanied by up to two adults only. Events will only be open to the 4-H member showing the project, two adults, the judge and two office staff.
“In order to implement the safety precautions put in place by the state 4-H office, we have to limit the number of people at our county 4-H events. Unfortunately, that means that we cannot have any extra people or spectators this year,” said Wendy Sweeter, Lincoln County 4-H temporary assistant.
All in-person 4-H activities were suspended from mid-March through June 30. Beginning July 1, 4-H is allowed to have up to 15 people gathered at a time. Beginning Aug. 1, 4-H can have up to 50 people in one place.
As a result of the changes, county 4-H events will be split up into multiple days and times. Static exhibits will be judged July 27; poultry will be judged July 28; and dairy cattle and dairy goats will be judged July 29. Rabbits and companion animals will be judged Aug. 9; meat goats and sheep will be judged Aug. 10; beef and swine will be judged Aug. 11; and horses will be judged Aug. 12.
These changes will also mean no open class exhibits, 4-H BBQ, dog show, premium sale or round robin contest in 2020.
Youth-In-Action events – public presentations, special foods and fashion revue – are being done virtually this year.
“In order to keep connected with Lincoln County 4-H, we have created a 2020 Lincoln County 4-H Achievement Days Facebook page. We will post pictures of the static exhibits after judging and hope to broadcast the shows through Facebook Live,” Sweeter said.