Quality Assurance

Per the rules of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, all livestock exhibitors (market and lactating species) must either attend a Quality Assurance (QA) Program or successfully test out of QA in order to exhibit livestock at the Shelby County Junior Fair or the Ohio State Fair. A parent or guardian of all junior exhibitors must also attend one of the sessions. Those exhibitors who take QA out-of-county are responsible for reporting and verifying what session they attended, as well as when and where.

The ONLY on-line QA certification approved by the Ohio Department of Agriculture is the YQCA. PQA, BQA, or Ohio BEST Show online course DOES NOT meet the requirements of Ohio QA certification.

2025 QA Dates (Must be completed by June 1st!):

  • March 6th at 7 PM, Hosted at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (Beige Building)
  • March 12th at 8 PM, Hosted at Russia Local School (The Commons)
  • March 27th at 7 PM, Hosted at Fort Loramie Elementary School (Cafeteria)
  • March 30th at 1 PM, Hosted at Anna High Sschool (Auxillary Gym)
  • April 27th at 1 PM, Hosted at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (Youth Building/EMA Building)

QA TEST-OUT OPTION:

Shelby County Extension and Shelby County Senior Fair Board allows 12-18 year-old (as of January 1st) 4-H and FFA members to test out of their annual Quality Assurance (QA) program.Test-outs can be completed through the school’s FFA advisor OR youth can set up an appointment with the OSU Extension Office to come in and take the test-out at their convenience. Please call 937-498-7239 to schedule a test-out. Test-outs must be taken by June 1, 2025.

  • Youth ages 12-14 (as of Jan. 1) who pass the QA test can test out of their annual QA program for up to 3 years. 
  • Youth ages 15-18 years (as of Jan. 1) who pass the QA test can test out of their annual QA program permanently. 

What will be on the Quality Assurance Test?

This year's (2025) test out will include: 

Junior Fair Market Animal Tagging & Weigh-In

2025 Beef

  • May 4th from 12-2 PM at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (Feeder Calf Tag Pick Up and Vaccination Paperwork Check)

2025 Lamb/Goat

  • May 4th from 12-2 PM at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (Mandatory Tag-In and Optional Weigh-In)

2025 swine

  • May 4th from 12-2 PM at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (840 Tag Pick Up)

2025 Rabbit

  • June 21st from 8-10 AM at the Shelby County Fairgrounds (Tattoo and Check-In)