COLUMBUS (WJER) - Tuscarawas County 4-H officials are heading to the Ohio State Fair with high hopes this week. 

OSU 4-H Extension Educator Kiersten Heckle says in Tuscarawas County, about 130-students are participating in a variety of categories in hopes of bringing home some accolades ahead of the county fair in September. She says about 100 of those kids have been hand-picked by county judges based on their competency in their category, and overall project quality.

“So when they are selected, most of them jump at the chance, especially our returners who have done this for years. This is a goal for them, especially for our non-livestock kids. This is the exciting time of their summer because they may not be exhibiting an animal project at the county fair in September, so this is what their goal is,” she says.

There are also about 30 students with livestock projects who have elected to take part in the state fair this year. Heckle says just being there is a great experience, but she says the students have bigger goals in mind.

“We have a number of returners as well, like we always do. The returners always go with that goal in mind to bring home a clock trophy or an Outstanding of the Day ribbon, and we do very well down there,” she says. “Our kids usually walk away, quite a few of them, with either a trophy or an Outstanding of the Day rosette.”

Heckle says they have students taking projects in categories including fashion, robotics, quilting, and cooking among many others that she says they’ve been working on since the year began.

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