Renville County Clover Update

January 19 - February 16: Fruit & Butter braid Fundraiser

February 5: Ambassadors (6:00) Leader's Council (6:30)

February 16: Officer Training

February 17: Market beef ID deadline

February 22: Clover Connections: Seeds in Water: Magic Plant Science

March 6: Estimated Fruit & Butter Braids delivery day

March 12: Adopt-a-Pig Program first meeting

March 28: Livestock Level Up Educational Event

April 18: Tentative Food Revue

Are you in grades 6 and up? Join us on Thursday, February 5, at 6:00 PM for an Ambassador meeting. We will be meeting at the Renville Government Center in Rooms 116/117.

When: Thursday, February 5, 2026 - 6:30 PM

Where: Renville County Government Center, Room 117

This meeting is open to ALL Renville County 4-H members, parents, and volunteers. Please join us and have a vote in what we do this coming year.

Attachments & Links:

1. In the February.pdf attachment is the agenda and all supporting documents as of 2/2

2. Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting: Zoom link for the meeting

When: Sunday, February 22, 2026 | 3:00–4:30 PM
Where: Renville County Government Center

Get ready to become a plant scientist! Kids in grades K–2 will explore the magic of growing plants without soil. In this hands-on activity, young learners will plant seeds in water, watch roots and sprouts appear, and learn how plants get the food and water they need to grow.

We’ll talk about how farmers use science and technology to grow food in new ways, and every child will get to observe, experiment, and even make predictions like a real scientist. This fun, interactive session is perfect for curious minds who love nature, science, and discovery!

Spaces are limited, so bring your curiosity and join us for a magical plant-growing adventure!

Please RSVP by visiting 4HOnline or contacting the Extension office: 320-523-3713 or mnext-renville@umn.edu. Please RSVP by Thursday, February 19. Must have at least 10 youth registered.

Which minerals should I eat? Which minerals are used to make cement, paint, and light bulbs? Learn about materials, the mythology of stones and more in this 4-H project.

What can you do?

In the geology project, you can:

• Learn about metamorphism, weathering quartz minerals or ores.
• Study geologic earth structures or features, such as volcanoes, mountain ranges, plate tectonics and more.
• Create a display of rocks, minerals or gemstones.

These are just some of the many ways you can participate in this project.

4-H members are invited to a fun and interactive Officer Training focused on building leadership skills and strengthening clubs through Positive Youth Development. Leaders will participate in hands-on workshops led by fellow youth leaders, including a parliamentary procedure session using a pizza-making challenge and a teamwork/problem-solving workshop.

Youth will learn how to lead meetings, work as a team, include all members, and make a positive impact in their clubs—all while connecting with other 4-H leaders.

Whether you are a new or returning officer, this training will help you grow as a leader and feel confident in your role. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, lead, and have fun!

📅 Monday, February 16
🕘 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
✨ Optional role-specific workshops available (9:30-10:00 - Secretary/Historian/Reporter; 3:30-4:00 - Treasurer)

All 4-H members are welcome and encouraged to attend!

We are excited to announce our upcoming 4-H Fruit Sale & Butter Braid Fundraiser! This is a great opportunity to support our county while promoting healthy eating and youth development. The funds raised from this event will directly benefit our county’s activities, events, county fair, and projects throughout the year.

Important Dates:

Sale Dates: January 19 - February 16

Last Day to Order: February 16

Order forms & payments due to the Extension Office: February 18, 2026

Fruit & Butter Braid Pickup: March 6 (will be looking for volunteers to help sort orders)

Fundraising Goal:
Our goal is to raise $8,000 through the sale of fruit and Butter Braids. Each family is encouraged to participate by selling to family, friends, neighbors, and local businesses. Your help in reaching this goal will make a significant impact on our ability to offer exciting programs and activities for our 4-H members. We are challenging each family to sell a minimum of 17 items.

Prizes and Incentives:

Prizes for top 3 families are: (Fruit Sales & Butter Braids combined)

1. 4-H Sway, Box #4, and Butter Braid ($70 value)

2. 4-H Swag, Snack Sticks, Butter Braid ($50 value)

3. 4-H Swag, String Cheese ($30 Value)

Families who reach the following fruit sales totals will earn these rewards:

• Sell $200 in fruit sales get a sharp cheddar cheese spread (#I).

• Sell $275 in fruit sales, get a 3-lb. container of grapes (#83).

• Sell $350 in fruit sales, get the milk chocolate sea salt caramels (#T).

• Sell $425 in fruit sales, get a package of premium cut beef jerky (#F).

Families who sell 15 or more Butter Braids will receive a package of Carmel Rolls.

All clubs with 50% or more participation will receive a club party. Please note that in order to be considered a participating family, you must sell at least 10 items.

The program is to give interested youth the opportunity to learn about agriculture, responsibility for the care of an animal, grow self-confidence, and a chance to make new friends. Our goal is to make this opportunity affordable and available to any interested youth to grow our market project areas as well as our youths' knowledge in the respective species industries.

Please review the species documents that you are interested in participating in before you complete this form. Once the interest form closes, we will have a meeting to discuss the programs in detail, sign the care agreement contracts and submit the deposits.

*Please note: these deposits will not be refunded if we have received the animals and you decide to back out of the program. As long as all requirements of the program are met, the fee will be put towards the bill at the end.

Important Dates

• Deadline to register for the Swine Market Livestock Program is March 5!
• Orientation meeting: March 12 - 6:00 PM - in-person
• Piglet pick up: Tentative date of March 29 or April 10/11
• County Fair ready meeting: TBD (most likely late May/early June)
• Livestock Entry day: Tuesday, August 11
• Swine Show: Wednesday, August 12

If you have any questions contact the office at 320-523-3713 or Ashle at benson18@umn.edu. We look forward to having you participate in this program!

Please vote for your favorite t-shirt design and livestock banner design.

Voting will go through February 28 via this Google form.

In-person voting will happen on March 6 during fundraiser pick-up.

The announcement of the t-shirt design and banner design the following week.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Extension office: 320-552-3713

2026 Animal ID Deadlines: February 17, 2026: Market Beef (market steers, market heifers, dairy steers). May 15, 2026: Breeding Beef (heifers, cows, prospects), Dairy, Dairy Goat, Dog, Horse, Llama/Alpaca, Meat Goat, Poultry, Rabbit, Sheep, and Swine. For more information, please contact your local 4-H office.

Ownership requirements for all animal science projects are uniform for 4-H Beef, Cats/Pets, Dairy, Dairy Goat, Dog, Horse, Lama, Meat Goat, Poultry, Rabbit, Sheep and Swine Projects: animals must be owned solely by the 4-H’er or the 4-H’ers family. The family includes the 4-H'ers parents/guardians and siblings living together as a family unit. The definition of family includes an extended family where the animal may be owned by grandparents as long as the 4-H’ers parents are actively involved with and working on the farm. Animals owned in partnership with non-family members (as defined above) must be leased and follow lease guidelines. All information must be submitted by May 15 with 4-H Online data. Market animals (with the exception of prospect calves) cannot be leased.

All Animal Ownership and Identification Deadlines:

February 17: Market beef (beef steers, market heifers and dairy steers)

May 15: Breeding beef, prospect calves, dairy, dairy goats, dog, horse, llama-alpaca, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep, swine. Fryer rabbits (should be 70 days old at show) 4-H’er must own the doe of fryer rabbits and doe must be identified by May 15.

June 1: Junior meat goat doe kids

June 1: Dairy spring calves

July 1: Junior dairy goat doe kids

Projects in Minnesota may be started at any time during the year. However, if the project is to be shown at a county or state event, certain requirements must be met. Each of the requirements listed pertain specifically to state events. Identification worksheets are available in most species for use by families to gather data needed to complete the 4-H Online Identification process. Please keep ID worksheets for records.

Please take a look at the document and website, linked below, for exact birthdates. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Extension office.

Join us on March 28, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Plass Farm, 78685 Co. Rd. 3, Hector, MN. Join us for a hands-on youth learning event focused on poultry, cattle, and swine. Youth will learn the basics of daily care, feeding, nutrition, and animal health through fun, interactive activities. Perfect for beginners and experienced show kids alike. Come for the animals, stay for the skills and the snacks, and leave knowing more than just "they need food and water." Lunch will be served. $5 per Renville County Family if registered before March 23 ($10 after March 23), and $10 per non-Renville County Family. Payable at event. If you register before March 15th, you will receive a starter bucket.

We are still looking for someone to fill in while Ashle is out on maternity leave (end of March - middle of June).

Please take a look at the flyer attached below. There is a link for a full job description towards the bottom of the document.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kate Holland at kharring@umn.edu

4-H Summer Intern positions provide meaningful professional youth development work experience for the student intern working alongside Extension educator(s). Each intern will be assigned projects or focus areas determined by program needs and, if applicable, to meet internship course credit requirements. Each intern will work with their supervisor to set goals, establish a plan to meet desired outcomes, and review progress throughout the internship.

Deadline to apply for this round is February 10.

Renville County 4-H will be hiring a food stand manager for during the 2026 County Fair.

This individual will be responsible for making sure that things flow smoothly in our food stand during the week of county fair (estimated 35 hours). Please see the job description attached below. If you know of anyone who is interested, please let me know!

If there is anyone that comes to mind, or if you are interested, please let Theresa or Ashle know by emailing or calling us at the office: mnext-renville@umn.edu or 320-523-3713.

There are a lot of opportunities that are happening throughout the state. Many of you have most likely received this already, but this serves as a reminder to take a look at the exciting opportunities that Minnesota 4-H has to offer.

Please see below the agenda template for February & March. These are still a work in progress and will get more specific as the months go on.

Please make a copy of this document by:

1. Clicking the file on the top left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Find "Make a copy" (should be the third one from the top) and click on it.
3. Name your document and save it into the folder you wish to save it to.

If you have any issues, please let Ashle know!

Minnesota 4-H has an awesome Volunteer Resource Center for 4-H volunteers. Take a second and check it out.

Under the "Lead a Club" picture, you will find a lot of resources to help you plan your club meetings and fun activities.

Click on the link below:

Club Leader Toolkit

Hello 4-H Families and Friends,

February is here, and we’re excited to keep the energy going despite the winter chill! This month, our programs are packed with hands-on learning, teamwork, and opportunities for youth to grow as leaders. Here are a few highlights:

• Upcoming Workshops & Activities:

• Opportunities to Get Involved:

• Don’t forget about our county-level events and volunteer opportunities this month. February is a great time for youth to step into leadership roles and practice skills that will carry them throughout the year.

• Tips for Families:

• Encourage youth to reflect on their 4-H projects so far this year—what’s going well, what challenges they’ve faced, and what they’re excited to try next.

• Winter is a perfect time for indoor STEM experiments, reading, and planning for spring activities. Small, consistent efforts now will pay off when fair season arrives!

We’re grateful for all the families, volunteers, and community partners who help make 4-H experiences meaningful for our youth. Thank you for supporting learning, growth, and leadership in every activity we do.

Keep an eye on your emails and our social media pages for updates and reminders about events this month. February (and March) may bring a few extra emails as I prepare for my leave at the end of March—there’s a lot of summer planning and prep happening in a short time! Let’s make this month full of curiosity, creativity, and fun.

Best wishes and warmth!

Ashle Benson