WEST UNION – While there will be no live birds of any kind at this year’s Adams County Fair, board members came up with a solution to allow youths to participate this July.

Members from the Adams County Junior Fair Board, the Adams County Senior Fair Board and representatives from the Ohio State Extension Office approved a framework that will allow the 64 children who only have birds to show at the fair to participate in some capactiy.

The Adams County Fair Board approved a framework that will permit youths to complete their projects through interviews and educational displays, participate in showmanship through the use of bird models instead of a live bird, compete for showmanship and Outstanding Market Exhibitor recognition and awards and participate in the Small Animal Sale on Friday, July 17.

According to Carolyn Belczyk, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development with OSU Extension Adams County, members are still urged to feed and care for their birds as if they were still going to show them in person. Members will still be able to sell their projects using pictures of birds pending approval of the plan by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Details of the plan will be mailed to enrolled members in the next week. For the present, members should continue to update their record books on a regular basis and take at least one picture of themselves with their birds within the next week.

All 4-H members and those Future Farmers of America members interested in competing for OME should be sure to complete the Poultry Skillathon by June 15.

Contact OSU Extension Adams County at 937-544-2339 for additional details, for clarification of the issues surrounding the ODA cancelation of poultry exhibitions in Ohio, or for more information regarding plans to facilitate poultry project completion at the 2015 fair.