Jefferson County 4-H

The 2026 Jefferson County Fair dates are July 8-12, 2026.

The theme is "There's No Place Like Fair".

The2026 4-H/FFA fairbook and fair entry forms are available at our office or online at at Jefferson County Fair Resources. All livestock and food entries are due by Monday, June 15th.

NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!!

Please make sure to let us know of any questions!

If you would like to reserve a camper spot at the Jefferson County Fair, please contact our office so we can make sure we have you on the list. If you have previously contacted us for this year, you don't have to contact us again. Thanks!

Please sign up today! We are in the process of setting up a new way to communicate and send notifications with our 4-H families and leaders. Please sign-up for the Sports You app online or download the app. There is a QR code below with the access code or you can look at the PDF attached to the newsletter to sign up. Please contact us if you need assistance! We are excited to try this new way to contact you all directly to your phone!

It’s time to get enrolled in 4-H for the 2026 4-H year! To enroll, visit: https://v2.4honline.com/. For returning families, please do not create a new account; rather use your log-in credentials for 4honline used in previous years. Instructions can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member. Enrollment instructions for new families can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member

What to bring:

Menu - menu for a full meal. May be any meal of the day, but not just party refreshments or snack. Use proper form for writing menu. Consider variety, color and nutrition when planning menu. Here is a publication about writing the menu.

Food – one food item from the menu. Baked items work best.

Place setting for one person - table cover (placemat or table cloth), tableware, napkin, glassware and dishes

as needed for the meal. You must set your own place setting with no assistance.

Centerpiece - appropriate for the meal planned.

Recipe - must have recipe of the food item brought for the judge to sample

Judging:

Participants will interview with the judge. The following points will be considered.

• Knowledge of nutrition – know the food pyramid and what food groups the foods you are serving belong in.
• Meal preparation – how will you prepare your meal? Which foods do you prepare first, second, etc. It is a good idea to have actually prepared the entire meal before the contest.
• Menu - suitable for the occasion, pleasing combination of flavors, textures and color
  
• Place setting - appropriate for the occasion, table properly set
  
• Creativity
  
• Quality of food prepared
  
• Contestant – neatly groomed, appropriately dressed, speaks up and answers questions

All 4-H/FFA youth showing livestock (beef, dairy, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, rabbits) must compete the YQCA course each year. We will have one final in-person training at the Extension Office on Monday, June 22nd at 11 am. If you aren't able to make it to this training, youth will need to complete the web-based training at yqcaprogram.org. Please contact the office to register for the training. Contact the office with any questions and we can send you the instructions for how to get all of these steps done. Training must be completed by July 1st in order to show your animals at the fair!

Family Responsibilities:

FAMILIES MUST PULL DNA FOR ALL MARKET AND BREEDING ANIMALS, AND FEEDER CALVES FOR THE STATE FAIR.

1. Envelopes must be picked up at the Extension Office or from FFA Advisor.
2. Exhibitors showing market animals, breeding animals, and feeder calves at State Fair must have a completed and signed official DNA hair sample for verification turned into our office by June 15. NAMES OF ALL YOUTH WHO COULD POSSIBLY EXHIBIT EACH ANIMAL MUST BE LISTED ON THE DNA ENVELOPE AND ALL YOUTH MUST SIGN THE ENVELOPE.

1. Nomination website is OPEN!
2. Exhibitors must complete online nominations for all DNA samples pulled for potential 4-H and FFA animals to be exhibited at the state fair. This includes market and breeding animals for all species, feeder calves, cow/calf pairs, etc. using the www.showstockmgr.com site along with submitting online payment for DNA no later than June 15. DO NOT MAKE YOUR ONLINE NOMINATIONS AT THE LAST MINUTE. Follow these instructions for online nominations: https://go.unl.edu/stockshowmgrnominationinstructions
3. EACH YOUTH WHO COULD POTENTIALLY EXHIBIT THE ANIMAL MUST BE LISTED ON THE ONLINE NOMINCATION.
4. Female animals may be nominated as both breeding and market but can only be entered in ONE show division (4-H or FFA) for State Fair. No animal can be shown in both 4-H and FFA. Do not create two nominations, simply check both check boxes for market and breeding.
5. Each State Fair nomination will be $7.00 per animal and must be paid at time of nomination. Failure to pay online will result in you not being eligible for State Fair.
6. Any animal carrying an 840 EID tag will require the exhibitor to obtain a Premise ID and have the number of file at the Extension Office by June 15.
7. NOMINATIONS DO NOT SERVE AS AN ENTRY FOR THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR. NOMINATIONS ONLY MAKE THESE ANIMAL ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY. ENTRY IS A SEPARATE PROCESS.

The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is back for its fifth year, recognizing youth who go above and beyond in their livestock projects! This program promotes learning in selection, production, leadership, and exhibition across all livestock species.

🔹 Open to enrolled 4-H livestock youth
🔹 Species include beef, sheep, swine, meat goat, dairy, rabbit, poultry.
🔹 Three achievement levels: Junior, Intermediate, Senior

🗓 Apply by June 15
🗂 Plans & Reports due August 1
🏆 Members of Excellence will be recognized at the Nebraska State Fair Grand Drive.

👉 Learn more & apply here: https://go.unl.edu/lap

June

15 - Jefferson County Fair Entry Deadline

15 - DNA Envelopes and Online Animal Nominations Due

23 - Watercolor Workshop, Extension Office

24 - Clover Kid Workshop, Extension Office

25 - Grape Jelly Workshop, Grace Lutheran Church, Fairbury

July

7 - Favorite Foods Contest, Fairgrounds

8-12 - Jefferson County Fair

28 - Farm Safety Day

Email: darci.pesek@unl.edu
Website: jefferson.unl.edu
Location: 517 F Street, Fairbury, NE, United States
Phone: 402-729-3487
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffersoncountyext

Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United Sates Department of Agriculture.

Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

©2026