Nobles 4-H Newsletter

All Nobles County 4-H families and volunteers are invited to an Enrollment Party on March 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the YMCA in Worthington, MN. Come for a day of fun with your 4-H friends in the YMCA gym and pool. Please make sure that you are re-enrolled in 4HOnline prior to the party. Or if you’d like help to enroll, we will be there to walk you through the steps. Bring along anyone that is interesting in joining 4-H and we will help them to enroll too!

Ear tags for the 2026 animal ID season are now available at the Extension Office. Tags are available at no cost to Nobles County 4-H members. All distributed tags must be accounted for in 4-H Online and tags that do not show up in 4-H Online must be returned to the Extension office. To order tags ahead of time for pick up, please complete the order form.

Please note that if your animal is already identified with a USDA RFID tag, do not remove that tag; it will be accepted in place of a 4-H tag. But you must list all 15 digits of non-4-H tags in 4-H Online.

See the Market Beef Identification Letter for steps that must be followed to identify your market beef animals in 4-H Online by February 17, 2026. If you have any questions on what tag to use, see the 4-H Beef Identification Requirements.

All species requirements have been updated for 2026, refer to the 4-H Animal ID webpage.

Please join us for a Food Stand and Building Committee meeting on Thursday, March 5th at 5:30 in the Farmer's Room.

The 2026 Andrea Ruesch 4-H Scholarship is now accepting applications. To learn more and apply, visit the Extension 4-H scholarship website. Applications are due March 1, 2026.

Join our youth chefs for a fun, hands-on cooking experience where participants will cook tasty, colorful meals and snacks on the spot, take on fun challenges that promote healthy eating on a budget, show off their creations, and learn smart cooking skills for life—all from their own kitchen. Best of all, the program is completely free! Register through 4-H Online.

Sessions will be held Feb. 17, 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, and April 7 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Take on the challenge and form a 4-H/FFA crop scouting team! Teams can be made up of youth in grades 6+ from one or multiple counties. Contact your local Extension office if you want help finding a team. If you don't have a team but still want to participate, we have coaches ready to help youth without any other participants in their county. 4-H/FFA crop scouting registration opens on May 1, and the state event will take place on Tuesday, July 28 at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus. Learn more and register.

Dig in, get curious, and grow big—the Grow a monster: Supersize my pumpkin challenge is rolling into 2026, and it’s going to be huge! This exciting 4-H challenge invites youth to take on the ultimate growing experiment—raising a pumpkin and seeing just how massive it can become. From planting the seed to measuring jaw-dropping growth, participants will explore plant science, soil health, weather, and problem-solving every step of the way. Along the journey, 4-H’ers will learn what pumpkins need to thrive as they build responsibility, curiosity, and confidence (and enjoy a little friendly competition). Registration opens in 4-H Online on March 1, and space is limited. This challenge is expected to fill fast, and registration will close March 19. Get ready to register, grab your seeds, and prepare to grow a monster! Learn more and register.

It’s time to dig in, get curious, and grow something amazing—4-H Science Sprouts is back this winter! Join 150+ others as we explore plant science through fun, hands-on activities during three short and engaging online sessions. Designed with grades 3 - 5 in mind (but all youth are welcome!), this STEM-packed series proves you don’t need a backyard to grow big ideas. It’s not too late to join us! If you missed the first session, you can still jump in for our February and March meetings, where we’ll be exploring pinecones and bulbs. Register by Feb. 16 to receive the supply list and Zoom link so you can participate and grow right along with us! Learn more and register.

Students entering grades 7-13 can have an adventure in science and career exploration on the prairie in SW Minnesota. University on the Prairie is a unique program that showcases hands-on activities related to animal science, food science, engineering, ag/environmental science and chemistry.

Faculty from the University of Minnesota and SDSU, along with local professionals and SWROC scientists will join teachers from the region to guide students through hands-on exploration of science in five career areas important to the life and future of southwestern Minnesota. The program is unique in the state and offers students an opportunity to open doors to many career paths and will perhaps result in a future soil scientist, pharmacist, or chemist.

The program is full of fun and hands-on activities. It will be held at the Southwest Research & Outreach Center laboratories, classrooms, and outdoor facilities near Lamberton. Check in at the SWROC will be at 10 a.m. on June 30. The program will run from 10:30 a.m. - 6:25 p.m. on June 30 and from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on July 1. An overnight lodging option is available at the SWROC (air mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows are encouraged).

Registration is now open at uotp2026.4honline.com. Total cost is $50 per student. Register by June 12. More information can be found at: https://extension.umn.edu/event/university-prairie.

Questions? Email mohrh002@umn.edu

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