BERRIEN SPRINGS — Berrien County Youth Fair exhibitor handbooks will be available for pick up starting May 1.

This year’s BCYF theme is “Fairadise.” Fair dates will be Aug. 14 to 19.

Fair officials thanked Lakeland Health for sponsoring the handbooks.

Additionally, books and entry forms may be picked up at the fair office in Berrien Springs, all Berrien County public libraries, the Berrien County 4-H office and the following Berrien County businesses:

• Baroda City Mills and H.F.S. in Baroda

• Country Heritage Credit Union in Buchanan

• Red & White Feed and Family Farm & Home in Benton Harbor

• Tractor Supply Company and Rural King in Niles

• Watervliet Fruit Exchange in Watervliet

• Siefert’s Farm Supply in Three Oaks

• Tractor Supply Company in Stevensville

Exhibitor handbooks may also be viewed online by specific department or the full book at bcyf.org. Exhibitor handbooks contain information on how to exhibit, exhibitor rules, registration deadlines and a complete listing of all classes available.

Exhibitors must be 5 to 20 years of age to exhibit all animals, including livestock and still exhibits (crafts, home economics, horticulture and flowers).  Age is determined as of Jan. 1 of the current year.

Online registration will begin at 9 a.m. May 1. To register, exhibitors will create a user name and password — it can be the same as last year’s.

After registration, exhibitors can return to the program and add more entries up until each entry deadline. The exhibitor’s printed email confirmation will serve as the traditional yellow copy of the entry form and is required on entry day, just as the yellow copy of the traditional entry form is.

The link for online entries can be found at bcyf.org. 

Office coordinator Gail Holmes reminds exhibitors that school projects can be used for showing.

“Don’t forget your school projects. In most cases, your school project can be exhibited and you get paid for exhibiting,” Holmes said.

Each exhibitor will receive an exhibitor season pass for free admission to the fair for the entire week. Each exhibit will be judged and given an A, B or C award.

Exhibitors will receive a ribbon and monetary award (premium) that corresponds with the award.  Ribbons will be distributed when exhibits are picked up at the conclusion of the fair and premium checks may be picked up at the entry office from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19 and from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20.

Entry forms for equine and llama/alpaca are customized printed forms. Exhibitors will need to pick up their equine or llama/alpaca forms at the fair office in Berrien Springs, or registration may be done online.

Animal identification rules from the United States Department of Agriculture include:

Dairy and beef:

• Must have official USDA identification tag. Call the tag hotline at (800) 292-3939. Animals may also have a registered breed tattoo accompanied by breed registration papers

• Dairy cattle may use a Dairy Herd Improvement Association tag as official ID.

Goats:

• Must have official USDA Scrapie identification tag. Call the tag hotline at (517) 337-4705. Animals may also have a registered breed tattoo accompanied by breed registration papers

Sheep:

• Must have official USDA Scrapie tag. Call the tag hotline at (517) 337-4705.

Swine:

• Swine market ear tags provided by BCYF meet the requirements for the official ID for State and Fair guidelines

The USDA tag number must be on the entry form when it is turned in to the fair office by the June 1 deadline, so youth need to order their tags as soon as possible.

In addition to the USDA required ear tag, individuals registering market animals will also need to come to the fair office and pick up the BCYF ear tags for those animals. BCYF ear tags must be in the animal’s ear by Aug. 1, or the entry will be disqualified.

The fair office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. A drop box is located just outside the office doors and contains a supply of books and entry forms.

Completed entry forms may be left in the slot of the drop box; mailed to the fair office at P.O. Box 7, Berrien Springs; or hand delivered during office hours.

Registrations will be accepted from May 1 up to the appropriate deadline date. Early registration is encouraged so deadlines are not missed.

Call the fair office at (269) 473-4251 or email the office at entry@bcyf.org with questions.

Registration deadlines:

• June 1:  Large animals (beef breeding, dairy, sheep, goats, swine, llamas/alpacas and equine)

• July 1:  Small animals (rabbits, poultry, cats, dogs and pocket pets)

• Aug. 1:  Still exhibits (crafts, home economics, flowers, horticulture and variety classes)

No entries will be accepted after the deadline.  Entry forms may be turned in anytime from May 1 until the appropriate deadline date.