With participation in 4-H limited to youths aged 8 and older, and FFA limited to high school students, coordinators of the 2012 Kingdom of Callaway County Fair have created a new event designed to encourage younger children to get involved in agriculture.
At 7 p.m. on Aug. 2, area children ages 3-8 are invited to participate in the new Children's Small Animal Show.
"We just wanted to give the younger kids a chance to be in a show ring and to talk to a judge," said Callaway 4-H youth development program associate Pam Heimericks. "We have a lot of little brothers and sisters that see their older siblings participating in 4-H; this gives them a chance to see what it's like and if it's something they're interested in doing."
Animals children may show include bottle goats/lambs, bucket calves, pet pigs, miniature ponies, cats, dogs, caged chickens, guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits. Participants will be asked questions about their animal, and may be accompanied by an adult while exhibiting their animal. All animals must be restrained in a cage or on a leash. Check-in starts at 6:30 p.m. There is no entry fee.
Heimericks said another small adjustment to the 4-H schedule for 2012 is moving up the time of the rabbit and poultry shows. Check-in will be at 8 a.m. on Aug. 2, with the breeding rabbit show to start at 9 a.m., followed by the poultry.
She said the decision for the time change can be attributed to the weather.