VEEDERSBURG — When the Fountain County 4-H Fair was canceled in May due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, longtime 4-H leader Christina Johnson became determined to find a way for the area’s hard-working youth to show off their efforts.
That determination has now become reality by way of the 2020 Fountain County Junior Livestock Show, set to take place Friday through Sunday in Veedersburg.
Young farmers involved in 4-H work year-round to bring their best to the fairgrounds each summer, Johnson said, and many depend on county fairs to receive that payoff — literally and figuratively — in the form of placements, prizes and auctions.
“The county fair is the only show they go to,” Johnson said. “They spend so many months working on these projects and I didn’t want that to go to waste.
“It isn’t going to be the perfect county fair, we know that, but it’s better than nothing.”
Johnson recruited fellow farmers Cheri Krug, Jay Allen and others, all of whom have experience in running livestock shows and competitions, to create the show this weekend.
The show will take shape in a show-and-go format, meaning exhibitors will bring livestock to the fairgrounds each morning, check in, show the animals on or near their trailers, and return home after their time is complete.
“They majority of livestock will be shown from their trailers so we’re not having a lot of interaction within the barns themselves,” Johnson said. “We don’t have any mask protocols in place, but we have waivers (for exhibitors and guests) to sign that encourage masks and promote social distancing habits.”
Sanitation will also be key, she said.
“We’ll have signs posted and we’re going to do our best as far as cleaning and sanitizing throughout the day as much as we can,” she said.
A virtual, premium auction will also be part of the show. Those interested in purchasing livestock shown may do so at www.integritylivestocksales.com during the evening of July 16.
However, funds will be distributed in a new way this year.
“The exhibitors are not directly selling their animals — the money from the buyer will be contributed toward the exhibitor’s project,” Johnson said. “If the buyer wants that animal, that’s between the buyer and the exhibitor to arrange that.”
The show will be available for live streaming through the show’s Facebook page titled Fountain County Jr. Livestock Show.
