Ashley Boerboom holds the photo of the Marshall 9/11 memorial she showed in the Lyon County 4-H virtual showcase this summer.

For Lyon County 4-H clubs, August usually means fair time. But this year, the barns and exhibit hall at the county fairgrounds were empty due to COVID-19 precautions.

Meanwhile, area 4-H members discovered a new way to share their projects: virtual presentations.

Ashley Boerboom and her sister Shanna Boerboom said showing their rabbits, photography and other projects this year meant submitting virtual entries online, as well as making videos.

“You had to do a video of showing the judge the rabbits,” Ashley Boerboom said. It was a different experience compared to meeting with 4-H judges in person, but Ashley and Shanna, both members of the Stanley Busy Beavers, both submitted a variety of projects for the Lyon County 4-H virtual showcase.

With the COVID-19 pandemic closing down county fairs across Minnesota, many 4-H members were left without a traditional way to share their projects and animals this year. When Lyon County Fair organizers decided not to hold a fair in 2020, 4-H held a virtual showcase for members’ work, said Sam Jens, Extension educator for Lyon County. Members recorded virtual presentations about their animal projects and other fair exhibits, which could be viewed by judges. Judging took place Aug. 10-14.

While participation was down this year in terms of the number of youth who submitted projects, Lyon County 4-H members showcased almost as many projects as they would on a normal year, Jens said.

Ashley and Shanna Boerboom said they both showed rabbits in this year’s virtual showcase. They also exhibited photography, craft projects and garden flowers they grew.

Putting together a virtual fair exhibit involved some of the same basic ideas as normal, the Boerbooms said. For “static” exhibit entries like photography or crafts projects, they needed to be able to tell how they completed the project and the steps they went through. Usually, 4-H members would talk to judges in person for that part, Ashley said.

“I like to do that face to face,” she said, so entering a virtual exhibit was a different experience.

Filming yourself showing an animal was another new experience, the girls said. Their mom Roxanne Boerboom helped by being the cameraperson.

“It was something different,” Roxanne said.

Animals can sometimes be unpredictable as they’re being handled, even on camera. But for the most part things went well, Ashley said. “We had some time to get ready.”

In some ways, Ashley said she missed having the experience of the county fair. Normally at the fair, she said, “You get to see what (projects) other people do. Not having that was kind of different.”

Another way this year has been different is that the Minnesota State Fair has been cancelled. But the Boerbooms said they are looking forward to showing some of their projects in a statewide showcase. The University of Minnesota Extension is allowing youth to enter a limited number of static and animal projects in the state showcase. Judging will be held over Zoom, with general project judging starting Aug. 31, and animal project judging starting Sept. 8.

Ashley said she plans to enter her rabbits in the state showcase, as well as her photography. Shanna said she was also entering rabbits, as well as pillows she sewed.

It will be different not being able to attend the State Fair in person, but Ashley said she was still looking forward to the showcase.

“I’m pretty excited to do the State Fair,” she said, because she hadn’t taken livestock to state before. “I think it will be pretty fun.”