Field and Garden: Understanding 4-H judging at the Fair

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to judge the 4-H wood-working exhibits at a fair in a neighboring county.

I recall one young boy, beaming with pride as he placed his project on the table before me and then took a seat, eagerly awaiting my assessment.

My first impression was positive, but when I reached down to pick up the project, my fingers touched paint that was still tacky.

“Is wet paint acceptable for a fair exhibit?” I asked myself.

I continued examining the project and found that the overall craftsmanship was good. However, as the judge, I faced a decision: which color ribbon should I award?

I wanted to encourage this young man’s interest while also motivating him to finish his project earlier next time, ensuring the paint had time to dry.

As the 4-H’er watched patiently from across the table, I debated internally whether to award a blue ribbon or a red one. Being a judge is not easy.

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We’re all accustomed to seeing ribbon awards at the fair. But do we know what they mean?

Champion Rosette (Purple): The top exhibit in a category, as determined by the judge.

Reserve Champion Rosette (Lavender): The second-place exhibit in a category.

Honorable Mention (Green): Outstanding exhibits that were in consideration for the champion rosettes.

Blue: Excellent exhibit which meets the standards and expectations of the project. The exhibit shows high quality work and needs little or no improvement.

Red: Good exhibit which meets most standards and expectations of the project. The exhibit shows high-quality work; however, some improvements can be made in workmanship, design or expression of what was learned in the project.

White: The exhibit meets few standards and expectations of the project. The exhibit can be improved in design or knowledge shared about the project.

Blue, red and white ribbons are awarded based on the Danish system of judging. In this system, the ribbons are awarded based on how well the work meets established standards rather than by comparing it to others.

The advantage of the Danish system is that each 4-H’er can be recognized for the quality of their work. If all participants do excellent work, they can all receive blue ribbons.

The disadvantage of the system is that the standards can sometimes be set too high or too low. While it’s appropriate to give everyone a blue ribbon if they all excel, this is rarely the case.

Interview judging is conducted for each 4-H exhibit at the Foster County Fair, providing an opportunity for 4-H members to briefly discuss their projects with the judges.

During these interviews, 4-H’ers can share what they learned as they worked on the project and what they might do differently next time. The judges can also gently offer suggestions for future improvement.

4-H members quickly learn that judging results reflect personal opinions and that evaluations can vary among judges.

Presenting their work for evaluation takes courage, but graciously accepting constructive criticism is an experience that will benefit 4-H’ers throughout their lives.