Adams County 4-H sets June 30 pre-fair judging at West Union Elementary

West Union Elementary School will host the last major check-in for Adams County 4-H families before the county fair season moves into full gear. Pre-fair judging is set for Tuesday, June 30, and the date lands just ahead of the 135th Adams County Fair, which runs Sunday, July 12, through Saturday, July 18, 2026, at the Adams County Fairgrounds in West Union.

Food and Nutrition skillathon judging is required for all food projects and will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants do not need to bring a place setting, but they do need to know how to set one correctly, since the judging is designed to test knowledge as well as project work. For the Food and Nutrition Presentation Project and Project Portfolio, members must use a three-pronged folder with 8 1/2 by 11 inch pages and include no more than one page for each activity or interest area listed in the front of the project book.

The project pages can be built as a collage, journal, timeline, photo display or another format that shows the member’s work and learning. Scrapbooking-style pages will not receive points. Adams County 4-H also noted that Ohio will continue using MyPlate guidance for the 2026 program year, even as the U.S. Department of Agriculture moves toward RealFood.gov, because enrollment was already underway during the transition. Ohio 4-H nutrition materials say supplemental resources are expected for the 2027 program year.

Clothing project members will have Style Review at 3:30 p.m., and narrative cards will be available at project check-in. The county’s notice also makes clear that all non-livestock projects must be displayed in the 4-H Booth Building at the fair to be eligible for awards and premiums. Adams County Fair and 4-H exhibitors use FairEntry for fair sign-up and project information, making the June 30 judging date one of the final steps before exhibit week begins in West Union.