IMPORTANT NOTE: The following information pertains to the 2016 Minnesota State Fair.
Please check back in the spring and summer for information on the 2017 Great Minnesota Get-Together. For the latest updates, sign up for our email list!

FFA

The 2016 FFA Livestock show runs for four days, from Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5. Entries are open to Minnesota (and Wisconsin sections 1, 2, and 3 in crops only) students, grades 9-12, who are regularly enrolled in an agricultural education program or are active members of a chapter of FFA that is in good standing in the state FFA association. Incoming 9th grade students are eligible to show if they are enrolled in or have completed a course in a grade 9-12 Ag-Ed program for the current year. In 2015, the FFA program included 969 exhibitors, showing more than 3,398 exhibits.

Departments include:

  • FFA Beef Cattle - Angus, Charolais, Hereford, Limousin, Red Angus, Shorthorn, Simmental, any other purebred, any other registered composite, commercial beef heifer, market beef and dairy steers
  • FFA Dairy Cattle - Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, Red & White, any other breed
  • FFA Swine - Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland China, Spotted Hogs, Yorkshire, crossbred gilts, market hogs
  • FFA Sheep - Babydoll Southdown, Columbia, Corriedale, Dorset, Hampshire, Rambouillet, Southdown, Suffolk, other purebred wool/meat breeds, commercial breeding ewe and market lamb classes
  • FFA Meat Goats - breeding meat-type doeling, dairy and meat market goat classes
  • FFA Crops - field crops, forage crop seeds, old corn
  • FFA Judging Contests - dairy and general livestock
  • FFA Safe Tractor Operator’s Contests
  • FFA Landscape Design and Construction

The Minnesota State Fair Rural Youth Scholarship

The Minnesota State Fair Rural Youth Scholarship (formerly the Ben C. Hallberg Rural Youth Scholarship) was established in 1994 to help further the educational endeavors of young adults from greater Minnesota. Up to 20 scholarships of $1,000 each will be made available to rural youth or those enrolled in an agriculture program in 2016, with participation in the current year’s Minnesota State Fair.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND RULES FOR ENTRY:

The FFA premium book and entry forms are available annually to view and print in early June. Information is also available by mail; contact the competition department and indicate which category you are interested in.

REGISTRATION, FFA LIVESTOCK: By entering FFA livestock entries online, entry and W-9 forms will be filled out electronically. Registration and payment for entries online will be available for all divisions beginning the Monday following Father’s Day (June 20). Online registration will absolutely close on each division’s final entry closing date at 4:30 p.m. No late entries may be submitted via the online registration process. Entries may also be submitted via mail. Payment must be submitted at time of entry; if you do not pay, your entries are not accepted.

REGISTRATION, FFA AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY: Online registration for the FFA Agriculture Technology begins the first Monday in May (May 2) and will absolutely close Aug. 16 at 4:30 p.m. By entering online, your entry tags and forms will be completed and ready for you when you deliver your articles. Entries may also be submitted during entry delivery days.

IMPORTANT DATES:


REGISTRATION, FFA LIVESTOCK: Opens the Monday following Father’s Day (June 20); closes 4:30 p.m. on the dates below:

  • FFA Beef Cattle - Monday, Aug. 1 for mail entries; online entries close Monday, Aug. 8
  • FFA Dairy Cattle - Monday, Aug. 1 for mail entries; online entries close Monday, Aug. 8
  • FFA Swine - Monday, Aug. 8, mail and online
  • FFA Sheep - Monday, Aug. 8, mail and online
  • FFA Meat Goats - Monday, Aug. 8, mail and online

REGISTRATION, FFA AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY: Opens the first Monday in May (May 2); closes on the dates below:

  • FFA Agriculture Technology - Tuesday, Aug. 16, 4:30 p.m. for online entries
  • FFA Crops - Friday, Aug. 12 (use the Excel spreadsheet on the right)
  • FFA Safe Tractor Operator’s Contest - Monday, Aug. 22, mail entries

For further information, please contact competition@mnstatefair.org or (651) 288-4417.

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ONLINE REGISTRATION
FFA AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY:

Online registration for the FFA Agriculture Technology begins the first Monday in May (May 2) and will absolutely close Aug. 16 at 4:30 p.m. By entering online, your entry tags and forms will be completed and ready for you when you deliver your articles. Entries may also be submitted during entry delivery days.

Please read the premium book rules before beginning online registration, as you are responsible for the important rules and conditions it contains regarding your entries.

Online registration is now closed for 2016.

ONLINE REGISTRATION
FFA LIVESTOCK:

Online registration for FFA Livestock divisions will absolutely close at 4:30 p.m. on the individual department entry closing dates.

Please read the premium book rules before beginning online registration, as you are responsible for the important rules and conditions it contains regarding your entries.

Note: Pre-fair discount admission tickets will no longer be sold by the competition office as part of the online registration process. However, once you complete your online registration, you will see a link to the ticket office page expressly for horse and livestock exhibitors. This link will also be included in your confirmation email.

Online registration is now closed for 2016.


Please read the FFA Crops Entry Information for more details on FFA Crops registration.

PRINTABLES:

The information below may be viewed and printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5 or higher. If you do not have Acrobat Reader or have an older version, you may download the most current Acrobat Reader.

Exhibitors entering in multiple divisions, please refer to the complete publication.

Exhibitors entering in one division; please refer to the section that applies.