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What does 4.5 mean for the Putnam County 4-H Fair?
As previously reported, we still plan in-person 4-H events at the Putnam County Fair and the Indiana State Fair facilities, the events will look much different than we are accustomed to with past events.
The 2020 Putnam County fair will not be the carnival, elephant ear fanfare many expect to see. The ONLY individuals who should come to the 2020 Putnam County Fair are those who are 4-H members, immediate 4-H parents/guardians or family helper and 4-H volunteers.
The Putnam County Fair Board and Purdue Extension Putnam County appreciates the public support for the fair events related to 4-H, Adult Open Class, Harris Hall and all of the public non 4-H fair events. However, the general public should wait to come visit at the 2021 Putnam County Fair as this year will strictly be a limited audience event providing the opportunity for 4-H members to exhibit and compete. Be aware the situation is also fluid as circumstances change.
One such example of unplanned change was when Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that rather than moving to stage five that we would be moving to 4.5 on July 4 through July 17.
How does that impact the Putnam County Fair? Larger scale not a lot unless you are in the cat or dog project. Due to both cat and dogs being vulnerable to COVID-19, the CDC has stated cat and dog shows should not occur. This guidance “prohibits from the show any species show to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, including cats and other felids, dogs, small mammals, mink and other mustelids like ferrets, and other animals shown to be susceptible to this virus.” At one-point, rabbits were in question and they have been cleared to show.
However, Purdue University as the land grant university that oversees 4-H, has submitted a request for a waiver to the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) to allow 4-H to disregard the CDC guidance. We will keep these impacted 4-H members/volunteers posted of the outcome and hopefully we will not have to go virtual for these two projects. Please do NOT contact BOAH to complain, campaign or otherwise pontificate as they and the Indiana Department of Health are partners to help us and this was not their policy, rather CDC guidance.
Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Back on Track COVID-19 recommendations are to be followed as we have begun to again have face-to-face meetings. There will be no livestock kept overnight on the fairgrounds during the Putnam County Fair to accommodate social distancing guidelines.
The Putnam County Fair 4-H events will generally continue to occur on the same dates with the exception of the swine and beef show dates which have switched. Barn superintendents should be providing info for their 4-H members, if they have not already, regarding time changes with check in, show time and release. 4-H Exhibit Hall project judging will be conducted in a closed rather than open format. The Exhibit Hall will open with the intended audience of the static displays being 4-H families in a limited capacity.
Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.
Upcoming events
July 7 – Fair Entry closes, deadline to enter projects into Putnam County Fair.
July 8 – 4-H Floriculture & Gardening Workshop, 2 p.m., via Zoom.
July 9 – Food and Gardening Series – Adding Tomatoes into your diet, 2 p.m., View on
Purdue Extension-Putnam County Facebook page.