Fillmore County 4-H News

Please remember that Fillmore County has a Central Weigh-in, which means our weigh-in is mandatory. If you do not attend this weigh-in, you will not be allowed to place over a blue ribbon or be eligible for a state fair trip with your market beef. If you are unable to attend this weigh-in, please contact the Extension Office as soon as possible so that we can work out alternative options.

We are again asking that families sign up for a time slot in order to keep the back up at a minimum. Please go to the 2026 Beef Weigh-in Sign up to reserve your time. We are also asking that you indicate how many head of cattle you are bringing in your trailer so we can have a general idea of how many animals to expect. If you are ride-sharing to weigh-in, please mark all families involved in the "Family Name" field of the sign-up.

Again this year, for all Beef animals: The USDA APHIS implemented an identification rule on electronic identification on November 5, 2024. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health updated their livestock exhibition ID requirements to comply with this rule. This rule changed what counts as official ID, not when official ID is needed. As a result of complying with these rules, Minnesota 4-H has changed our ID requirements as well.

• All beef animals identified after November 5, 2024, must have a Minnesota 4-H RFID Ear Tag.

• Exception: If an animal is already tagged with an RFID tag, do not remove that tag; that will be accepted in place of a 4-H tag. You must list all 15 digits of non-4-H tags on the ID.

Below is the Market Beef ID Form - Please print and have this ID form filled out with all requested information to hand in at weigh-in. Be sure to properly include breeds, birthdates, and if at all possible, which child would be showing each animal. If you do not designate a child for an animal, one will be assigned from your family.

If you have any questions about the rules or the weigh-in process, please contact Heather or Alex.

The Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors can’t wait to see YOU at the Building Leadership and Understanding (BLU) workshop this February! BLU is for youth in grades 6 and up. Each year at BLU is a new experience! The State Ambassadors select new leadership themes to ensure every workshop provides unique, engaging activities that help participants build essential leadership skills.

This year’s theme is “Bloom into Leadership”—and it’s going to be awesome!

What will youth learn?

• Gain leadership skills in communication and conflict resolution

• Build relationships with other teens

• Make a real impact through service projects focused on disaster relief and emergency response

Check out our promo video and see what all the buzz is about!

When & where?

BLU will be hosted in five different locations, with four overnight experiences and a one-day experience:

• Jan. 31-Feb. 1 - Long Lake Conservation Center in Palisade

• Feb. 7-8 - Camp Victory in Zumbro Falls

• Feb. 7-8 - Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji

• Feb. 21-22 - Camp Friendship in Annandale

• Feb. 28 - Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall

**If attendance at any of the locations is minimal, it is highly likely that the BLU workshop at that location will be canceled due to insufficient interest.

Cost: Just $110 for the overnight experience (includes meals, lodging, activities, supplies, and a T-shirt!) & $65 for the one-day experience (includes meals, activities, supplies, and a T-shirt!) Scholarships may be available—ask your county/tribal program or email Jacquie at jlonning@umn.edu.

Need a ride? Check with your local educator about transportation options!

Sign up by January 9 at 4honline.com—don’t wait, spots fill fast! You can find directions on how to register here.

Want to chaperone? View the Chaperone Description and apply here and join the fun!

Don’t miss this chance to lead, create, and make memories. We can’t wait to see YOU at BLU!

On Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Byron Middle School, we will be hosting our annual southeast regional project day. This is open to all 4-H members, K-13. Youth can select up to three workshops to take part in with the goal that they will leave with a completed project to enter at the fair and/or skills to create their project. Our staff members who are working with this event are getting close to opening up registration but we are wanting to add a few more workshop options if possible. If you or you know of somebody who enjoys working with youth and has a project in mind, please contact one of the staff mentioned below by this Friday, January 9 if possible.

General information:

• We are NOT in need of any food or cloverbud leaders. We are open to all other areas, especially shop, as that has always been a popular session in past years.
• Sessions typically last 1.5 hours but we can consider making it a 3 hour workshop if needed.
• Youth do pay to attend so that materials and use of the building are covered.

For questions and/or to express interest or suggestions of people we can contact, please reach out to the following staff:

Dodge County 4-H educators: Bethany Jackson @ and10807@umn.edu and Carrie O'Reilly @ oreil175@umn.edu

Houston County 4-H Educator: Rebecca Paulson @ rpaulson@umn.edu

Rice County 4-H Educator: Kelly Chadwick @ chadw021@umn.edu

Alexander Coe

Fillmore County 4-H Extension Educator

902 Houston St NW # 3, Preston, MN 55965

University of Minnesota

Email: coexx049@umn.edu

Office Phone: 507-765-3896

M - F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Cell: 507-216-2999

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