Fillmore County 4-H News

• New 4-H Year began on October 1st. Remember to re-enroll.
• When re-enrolling, please enter the youth's email, if they have one, (preferably not a school email) as the member email so they also receive the information we send out.
• The 2026 Ambassador lock-in will be held March 6th to March 7th in Preston.
• SE Regional Project Day in Byron will be on March 7th from 9 am to 2 pm.
• The March Ambassador Meeting will be on March 14th at 6pm, in Room 108 of the Extension Office
• The March Federation Meeting will be on March 14th at 7pm , in Room 108 of the Extension Office
• Food Revue and Cake, Cupcake & Cookie Decorating Contests will be on March 28th, 2026
• The Fillmore County Auction Committee will meet on April 8th at 7pm, in room 108 of the extension office
• There will be a Livestock Open House for all families interested in livestock projects on April 11th at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds
• The April Ambassador Meeting will be on April 11th at 6pm, in Room 108 of the Extension Office
• The April Federation Meeting will be on April 11th at 7pm , in Room 108 of the Extension Office
• The 2026 Fillmore County Fair will be July 20th - 26th.

The Fillmore County 4-H Ambassadors are excited to host their youth lock-in March 6-7th in Preston at the elementary/middle school. This will be an excellent opportunity to socialize with other 4-Hers and friends while participating in team-building activities, sports, and other fun.

Food and drinks are all included. Video games, sports, board games, recreational activities, and more.

The cost is $10 per child when you arrive.

Sign up at z.umn.edu/FCLock-in26

Join us on March 28th for the Food Revue!

🍽️🥗The Food Revue combines food preparation, menu planning, and table setting skills. 4-H members and Cloverbuds participating in the Food Revue need to plan a menu suitable for an indoor or outdoor meal. The exhibitor will prepare and display one food item from the menu; select a table service and centerpiece; develop a menu card and recipe card; and set this on a table or picnic blanket. More Information can be found in the Food Revue banner below.🍛

Objective of the Show:

• To provide the member an experience in planning, preparing and serving foods as part of a meal or snack.
• To give the member an opportunity for self-expression both verbally and visually.
• To provide members an opportunity to show what they have learned.

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Join us on March 28th for the Cake, Cookie, & Cupcake Decorating showcase!

🎂🧁When you bake and decorate a cake for a special occasion, the smiling faces around the table will be your greatest reward. After a few lessons and a lot of practice you will be able to decorate beautiful cakes for birthday parties, anniversaries, and other special days. Cake & Cookie Decorating promotes youth to be creative but also mindful of how much icing they use and how delicate to be when making intricate designs. More info can be found in the Cake & Cookie Decorating banner below.🍪

Sign up for both events here or at z.umn.edu/FCFoods2026.

Deadline to sign up is March 20th, any sign ups after March 20th will be able to participate but will be restricted. Contact Alex or Heather with questions at 507-765-3896.

It's time for our southeast regional project day! This fun and educational event is open to all 4-H members in Southeast Minnesota. It is designed to give youth hands-on learning opportunities that help them gain new skills and grow confidence in their abilities. The day starts at 9:00 am at the Byron Middle School and the last session ends at 2:00 pm. (For those who have attended in the past, note the change in location!) Youth can sign up for 1 class in each session. There are three sessions in the day. We take a break for lunch from 12 to 12:30 pm. Everyone needs to bring their own lunch. Please check out the information sheet to learn about all the classes being offered, the cost for each class and other details!

Olmsted and Winona Counties are hosting LQA&E at Dover-Eyota High School. This training on March 28 from 9 am - 12 pm will be held in Olmsted County but is open to youth in the SE region. LQA&E training is required for all state fair exhibitors. Youth may complete an in-person training, which is good for three fair seasons, or the online YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) training, which is valid for one fair season. If you are unsure of if you need to take LQA&E this year, Contact Alex or Heather at the Extension Office.

To sign up go to z.umn.edu/OlmstedWinonaLQAE

Come test your skills with archery where you will have the opportunity to showcase your archery and wildlife skills and learn from peers, coaches, and volunteers in a positive environment! Open to youth grades 4+. Register in 4-H Online by April 1, 2026. Medals will be awarded to the top individuals in the archery competition!

When: April 11, 2026

*Registration begins at 9am, competition begins at 10 am

*Youth are able to select what time works best for them to compete (there are time slot options)

Where: Morris Area Elementary School

Who: Youth in grades 4th-13th grade

Cost: $20 ($25 for walk-ins/late payment)

Find more details and register here:

https://extension.umn.edu/event/stevens-county-archery-invitational

Greetings—

Winter has definitely arrived in Minnesota, but Spring is right around the corner. There are 2 in-person events happening in our region later this year that can help you get ready. Be sure to register before they are full! This newsletter also showcases several other events happening in the coming months.

The University of Minnesota Rice County Master Gardeners present the 2026 Rice County Garden Day on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at St. Olaf College, Buntrock Commons, Northfield. There will be four educational sessions, a vendor fair, door prizes, and a silent auction. The cost is $45, which includes lunch, and the registration deadline is March 1, 2026 . Also at this event, the University of Minnesota Soil Testing Lab will be collecting soil samples from attendees and answering questions. Learn how to take your sample at this site.

Join the Olmsted County Master Gardener Program for Get Growing! A Horticulture Day on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m . at Aune Hall in Rochester. This in-person event features research-based gardening education, with speakers sharing best practices for home gardens and adapting landscapes to a changing environment. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions, and attendees can explore vendors and exhibitors throughout the day. The cost is $50, which includes lunch, and the registration deadline is April 5, 2026.

Nitrates in drinking water have been in the news in SE MN several times in recent months. Mary Nesberg, Agriculture Educator in Olmsted County, recently wrote an informative blog post with resources that can be found at this website.

Lisa Dierks

Providing leadership to Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Winona Counties, and the Rochester Regional Office.

If you have any questions or requests for resources to share in future newsletters, please reach out to me at dierksl@umn.edu. To learn more about a topic, click on the title of the article!

Survey: Use of plant ID applications

Do you use a plant ID app to help identify plants you see? Do you wish you knew more? A collaborative group of University of Minnesota Extension educators are trying to learn more about the public needs around plant ID apps. Take this short survey to help us create new content that might answer YOUR questions!

Beginning livestock production course

This online, self-paced course will help new livestock producers develop the skills needed to raise livestock successfully, such as deciding which livestock species fit your system and goals, and planning for facilities and supplies. The course launches on Feb. 1 and will remain active until April 30.

Fridays with a Forester webinar series

Join Extension foresters to discuss some of the key issues and questions around forest and woodlands facing Minnesota land stewards. These online sessions will be very informal, open to the public and free of charge. All webinars will be from 9 to 10 a.m. through April 24.

Breakfast Info Bites webinar: The 10,000 Families Study

Join Extension’s Department of Community Development on Feb. 18 at 8:30 a.m. to learn about the 10,000 Families Study (10KFS), a long-term research initiative led by the University of Minnesota designed to understand the diverse influences of genetics, lifestyle, and environment on family health. Register for this free webinar at the link above.

Gardening from the Ground Up

University of Minnesota Extension educators are excited to offer the sixth annual Gardening from the Ground Up webinar series, a free weeklong program designed to help gardeners build skills from soil to harvest. Join us online Feb. 16-20 for five focused, practical sessions led by Extension experts, covering everything from building healthy soil and understanding microbes and product labels to adapting to shifting growing conditions and harvesting and storing produce for long-lasting quality.

Suicide prevention for agricultural communities

NAMI Minnesota and University of Minnesota Extension are partnering to offer suicide-prevention classes tailored to farming communities. Our aim is better equip agricultural communities to identify and help people who may be having thoughts of suicide and to change the public perception of this issue. This online class will take place on Feb. 17 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

This scholarship is intended for an active, enrolled 4-H member from one of the following Minnesota Counties: Olmsted, Fillmore, Goodhue, Mower, Wabasha, & Winona. Youth eligible to apply are high school seniors (class of 2026) or college freshman pursuing a secondary education at a two year or four-year college majoring in animal science, agriculture, or environmental science. Youth should demonstrate involvement in 4-H and be active in their school and community and show scholastic proficiency. Youth are not able to be awarded the scholarship twice, although they can apply for it more than once.

Contact Alex at the Extension office for other scholarship opportunities.

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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