Jackson County OSU Extension

08/13/2026

Two weeks away from Beef and Forage Field Night! Do not miss out on getting registered! A lot of new and exciting research here in Jackson!

08/12/2026

Congratulations to this year's Ohio State Fair award winners! 🍀🏆

08/11/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to Jamey Sexton, our 2026 Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Award Winner! 🍀

The Outstanding 4-H Volunteer of the Year is the highest honor bestowed upon Jackson County 4-H volunteers for recognition at the local level. The purpose of the award is to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions of service to the 4-H program and who have also made an important positive impact upon clubs, communities, the county and/or state 4-H program.

Jamey Sexton has served as a 4-H volunteer in Jackson County for over 30 years. Jamey has been a dedicated member of the Jackson County Livestock Committee, Horse Committee, and Senior Fair Board throughout his time as a volunteer. He is passionate about the county fair and seeing youth be successful in their projects. On most days, you can find Jamey here at the fairgrounds working on something to improve the experience for fairgoers, youth exhibitors, their families, and their livestock projects. Jamey has also spearheaded successful fundraising initiatives for the 4-H & Junior Fair programs, including the annual Haunted Barn. Now that the county fair is over, Jamey will spend the next three months preparing for his favorite time of the year – Haunted Barn season. His many hours of dedicated service do not go unnoticed, and we thank him for his hard work to serve the 4-H program in Jackson County! Jamey’s unwavering dedication reminds us all that we each can “Make the Best Better” through teamwork, thinking outside of the box, and lots of ice cream sandwiches. Jamey received a a trophy award honoring his heartfelt contributions to the Jackson County 4-H Program. Congratulations, Jamey, our 2026 Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Award recipient.

08/11/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2026 Jackson County 4-H Achievement Award Winner, Haley Ross! 🍀

A County 4-H Achievement Award is an award that recognizes 4-H members for their involvement in the Jackson County 4-H Program and their participation in 4-H club, county, district, state, national and international events and activities. The award is meant to honor a 4-H member(s) for their performance, dedication, and passion for the 4-H program, and is presented to members who have shown growth and excellence in projects, leadership, citizenship, public speaking, and overall participation in 4-H learning experiences. The Jackson County 4-H Achievement Award is the highest 4-H Award an individual member can receive at the county level.

Haley Ross is a 12-year member of the Ridge Runners 4-H Club. During her time in 4-H, Haley has succeeded at the county and state levels, as well as national 4-H experiences. Haley has exhibited a wide variety of both livestock and non-livestock projects and has found success inside and outside of the show arena. Haley has received state 4-H awards, including Second Alternate Ohio 4-H Achievement Award for Personal Development in 2026. Haley was a delegate to Citizenship Washington Focus on 2025 where she represented Jackson County and Ohio 4-H on Capitol Hill. Haley is an excellent role model, leading zest and confidence. She is an excellent camp counselor who values tradition, learning, and a good old-fashioned camp song. As Junior Fair Board President, Haley leads by example and serves at every opportunity she gets. She spearheads projects like the Stock the Trailer and JFB Fun Night and is a key reason their initiatives are successful. Haley is a true leader built by 4-H and is a visionary leader who we know will continue to Make the Best Better after her time in 4-H has concluded.

Each year, the County Achievement Award winner receives a trophy award, and a $50 donation to the Jackson County 4-H Endowment fund is made in their name signifying their lasting impact on our program. It is hoped that in time, award winners will support the Jackson County 4-H program in return. Congratulations Haley! 🍀

08/11/2026

THANK YOU and Congratulations to our 2026 Jackson County Friends of 4-H Award Winners, the VFW Post 9092 and Clara McGinnis.

This award recognizes an individual, family, group, business or corporation that supports the Jackson County 4-H Program in a charitable manner. The Friends of 4-H Award is a high honor to which we are proud to present to our program’s greatest supporters.

Clara McGinnis is a generous supporter of the Jackson County 4-H Program. Her generosity provided meals to Jackson County 4-H Youth at the Jackson County Fair through her sponsorship of meal passes to the 4-H Food Booth. Her generous support has provided over 800 meals to hungry children during the week of the fair and supported our 4-H Advisory Council’s largest fundraising event of the year. A 4-H alumna herself, we are grateful for Clara’s belief in the 4-H program’s mission.

The VFW Post 9092 of Wellston has valiantly supported the 4-H program in multiple ways. Through their generous sponsorships of awards and participation in the livestock sale, the VFW Post 9092 of Wellston has invested in the success of the future generation of leaders. The VFW Post 9092 of Wellston believes in the mission of 4-H and encourages young people to be their best selves by encouraging their future endeavors. Their generosity has also allowed our program to thrive and when something is needed, our program knows to reach out to this incredible group of individuals. During the banquet, the VFW Post 9092 presented the 4-H Advisory Council with a $500 check to help support our 4-H program. Their generosity knows no bounds and we are grateful for their support of positive youth development in our county!

Thank you for helping us Make the Best Better!🍀

08/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Volunteer Appreciation and 4-H Awards Banquet this past Saturday. We had a blast! Thank you to everyone who made it possible, and congratulations to our many award winners!

08/08/2026

Today’s the day! 🤩 We hope to see all of our 4-H volunteers and 4-H award winners at tonight’s recognition banquet! Good food, great company. Don’t miss it! 🥳🍀

Don’t forget to RSVP for the upcoming Jackson County 4-H Awards & Volunteer Recognition Banquet on Saturday, August 8th at the 4-H Building on the Jackson County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 5:00 PM and dinner will be served at 5:30 PM. 🍀🏆

Please RSVP by calling the Extension Office!

If your club would like to be considered for an Honor Club Award and/or Outstanding Club Community Service Award, please submit an Honor Club score sheet by August 1st! Link to score sheet:https://jackson.osu.edu/sites/jackson/files/imce/Honor%20Club%20Score%20Sheet_4.pdf

Each year, Jackson County volunteers are recognized for their outstanding service and dedication to our 4-H program. We will recognize volunteer tenure award winners for years 1, 5, 10, 15, etc. Please review the list of volunteer years of service to confirm your award before August 1st:https://jackson.osu.edu/sites/jackson/files/imce/Volunteer%20Tenure_070126_1200.pdf

4-H’ers applying for Ohio 4-H Clover Awards must submit applications to the Extension Office by August 1st. More information can be found at go.osu.edu/Ohio4HCloverAwards. Clover Award recipients will be recognized at the banquet.

Other individuals recognized at the banquet include:
- Junior Fair Board High Point Award Winners
- Ohio State Fair Award Winners
- 4-H Scholarship Winners
- 4-H Achievement Award Winners
- … and several other award presentations!

Come celebrate the conclusion of an excellent 4-H year and our amazing 4-H community. We hope to see you there! 🍀

08/06/2026

The August Jackson County 4-H Newsletter is now available! Check it out at go.osu.edu/Jackson4HNews.

Important Note about Livestock Sale Checks: At this time, there is not a set date for when Livestock Sale Checks will be available. The Livestock Committee is still awaiting payment from many buyers, and cannot hand out sale checks until buyers are paid. Please note that buyers have 30 days after the night of the sale to pay their bills. Please be patient and stay tuned for an announcement regarding the availability of Livestock Sale Checks. In the meantime, please be writing your thank you notes! Check out this month's newsletter for thank you note information.

Stay up to date on what's happening in Jackson County 4-H! 🍀

08/06/2026

In July, the total rainfall varied across the townships. Historically, Jackson County receives around 4.3 inches of rainfall for the month of July. Air temperature, soil temperature, and GDDs are around the 5-year average. Thank you to those Jackson County Township volunteers who are collecting the data!