Family Education Virtual fair available for 4-H members Whether their county fair went on as usual, was cancelled, or held online, 4-H members now have another outlet for their projects, the Crop Risk Services Virtual Fair. By Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater is the Family & Farmstead Editor for Successful Farming, sharing interesting family features, heartfelt editorial columns, and important health and safety information. Her favorite thing about her job is meeting interesting people, learning their stories, and sharing them with our readers.Lisa started her career with Successful Farming magazine in 1999, working primarily for the web team and writing product reviews for the magazine. She later wrote for the Living the Country Life magazine and website and has written and edited several cookbooks and other books for Successful Farming and Living the Country Life. Successful Farming's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 30, 2020 Close Kids across the country faced disappointment this summer as county and state fairs were cancelled due to COVID-19. Many 4-H projects were already completed before the news came. Olivia Harrington of Milo, Iowa, is 13 years old and just finished seventh grade. As a member of the Belmont Badgers 4-H club, she spent a lot of time on her projects this year, including clothing, sewing, visual arts, photography, home improvement, and woodworking. Harrington would've spent this past week displaying her projects and competing at the Warren County Fair, but the in-person shows other than those for livestock were cancelled. Warren County did offer students a chance to compete in a different way this year, by dropping off their exhibits or a photo of their exhibits and their project goals sheets at the local Extension office. Projects were judged and winners announced in an online slideshow. "Since most of my summer activities were cancelled, I had more time to do bigger, more complicated 4-H projects," Harrington says. "I did miss going to the Warren County Fair and the direct feedback of in-person judging." Harrington earned several blue and red ribbons, plus the Outstanding Intermediate award for clothing selection. One of her photos was selected for a creative arts tour and state fair consideration, and the dresser she refurbished was also selected for virtual state fair judging and the virtual tour. Virtual Fair Offered for all 4-H Members Now 4-H members like Harrington –- whether they had the opportunity to compete at local fairs or not –- have another way to be recognized for their hard work. Insurance provider Crop Risk Services (CRS) is holding a virtual fair, where 4-H projects can be submitted online and shared across CRS Facebook and Instagram channels. Entries are being accepted now through August 20, when they will be judged by a panel of CRS employees. CRS will donate $50 per completed project, up to $25,000, to the 4-H FOURWARD Fund, which provides educational resources to families in need. Click here for an entry form and to learn more about the virtual fair. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit