Logan County 4-H members maintain age-old traditions with new innovation and technology

[August 17, 2020]   Our Logan County 4-H youth are making history, memories that will be shared with their children and grandchildren. Last week would be been the Logan County Fair when hundreds of local youth would have displayed their year-long projects and competed in live events.

The youth would not be thwarted from presenting this year’s projects. They innovatively used technology and resources in place of the traditional fair venue and you can see their projects online.

Depending on the entry category, 4-H members prepared one minute videos or submitted photos. Then the University of Illinois Extension conducted judging remotely.

The complete selection of videos or photos from individual exhibitors is published online on a special website. https://fairentry.com/Fair/Results/13996?pageNumber=1 

The website will be available for public viewing through September 2nd.

In addition, the Logan County Extension staff encouraged the kids to take photos of their projects and write a paragraph or two about their 2020 experience to share with Lincoln Daily News. This was an optional activity, not required. Nonetheless, 22 4-H members from a variety of the Logan County Clubs did submit photos.

Today, LDN is proud to share that information with readers.

Local Extension staff and 4-H members deserve a big round of applause for their creativity under unfortunate circumstances.

When they started the year-long process the kids had no way of knowing a pandemic would prevent them from going to fair. They did their work, attended their meetings, and excelled in the programs and projects they had committed to complete in this year.

After the March 12th state issued “Stay at home” orders, the 4-Hers held their monthly meetings virtually, and communicated with their leaders and each other via email and text. It was certainly different, but had its positive impacts.

LDN is proud to salute the kids, and congratulate them on all their hard work.

Like them, we missed the fair a lot. We missed seeing their smiling faces when they got their ribbons. We missed the challenges of catching a good photo of the Grand Champion Steer. We missed the heat, the dust and the occasional rain storms. We missed scrambles night and the comedy of the 4-H Alumni. But most of all, we missed the opportunity to show the world how brightly our young stars shine.

[Nila Smith with assistance from the Logan County Extension Staff]