Cortland Standard .net

By COLLEEN SIUZDAK
Staff Reporter
csiuzdak@cortlandstandard.net
CORTLANDVILLE — Cattle, pigs and other farm animals will be displayed this week at the Cortland County Junior Fair’s kick off on Tuesday, highlighting projects completed by the Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program.
The county fair is set to run Tuesday through Saturday with free admission to the public.
Rebecca Ireland-Perry, 4-H resource educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County, said Thursday afternoon the fair is intended to highlight the work of the county’s 4-H program, giving the youngsters an opportunity to exhibit agricultural projects they have been working on all year.
“We would like the public to come down and enjoy all aspects of the fair,” Ireland-Perry said, adding there are events scheduled each day of the week.
The Cortland Junior Fair was formed in 1953 by members of the County of Cortland Agricultural Corp., according to the fair’s website.
Cortland County 4-H is the youth development program part of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Cortland County, open to all youths ages 5 to 19 years old. The program strives to teach youngsters about citizenship, healthy lifestyles, and science, engineering and technology skills, according to the program’s website.
Ireland-Perry added there are over 200 youths presenting this year to show off their projects with various species such as dairy cattle, rabbits, swine and sheep.
This year, however, the fair will be missing the fowl exhibits. There is a statewide ban against fowl exhibits at state and county fairs in an effort to protect against the spread of the highly contagious avian influenza.
“That’s going to be a big loss to the kids who have poultry projects,” Ireland-Perry said.
The state Department of Agriculture and Markets announced the ban in May.
Last year there was a ban on certain types of swine such as sows and gilts, or unbred females. These animals were banned from being exhibited to prevent the spread of PED, a swine virus.
Other alternatives to show fowl were offered this year such as a poster board which could be made to show off facts and pictures of their animal.
“We want them to still have a way to present their project,” Ireland-Perry said. “It’s not as exciting as looking at the live birds.”
For example, the Cloverbuds, a group of 5- to 7-year-olds will use a stuffed animal — a chicken -— to show people that they know the parts of the chicken, in lieu of not having their live animal there.
Participants ages 8 to 19 years old who exhibit their project get a blue, red or white participation ribbon. A blue ribbon is excellent, red is good and a white ribbon is worthy, Ireland-Perry said.
Ireland-Perry also said the children are judged based on their own merit and any outstanding projects can be recommended by judges to be exhibited at the state fair, which runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7.
Besides live animal showings, other displays include gardening, nutrition, and snake exhibits. Fun events for everyone to enjoy include an animal costume contest, scavenger hunt, a karaoke contest, and a tug-of-war competition.
The Cortland County Junior Fair is located at the county fairgrounds at 4849 Fairground Drive in Cortlandville.