Fillmore County 4-H News

Hello! My name is Ceona Johnson, and I am the Fillmore County 4-H intern this year! I have shown all kinds of poultry, goats, and static throughout my 4-H career. I grew up on a farm in Fillmore county and began showing in 3rd grade. Since then, I have grown my dairy goat herd to show in ADGA shows across the country while attending college full-time. I just finished my sophomore year at Winona State University, majoring in Biology. I hope to bring showing education and fun activities to the county fair this year! I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new faces soon!

If you ID'd animals and hope to take them to the state fair, you will need to have taken LQA&E or YQCA. If you are unsure whether you needed to take those courses this year, you should have received an email stating that you needed them for 2026.

If you needed the course and did not attend an in-person LQA&E, then YQCA is what you will need to take. YQCA is an online, 1-hour course that will satisfy the requirements for 1 fair season. To take YQCA click here. Once you have completed YQCA, email the certificate to the Extension Office, so we have it on file. The Office does not get notified when you have taken the course.

The Extension Office needs to have a record of either LQA&E or YQCA being valid before Fair.

If you have questions, reach out to Alex or Heather at the Extension Office.

Use the bannered link above to navigate to the County Fair Updates Newsletter for the latest updates for Fair.

• The FairEntry Deadline is June 15th. Reach out to Heather or Alex if you need help or have questions.
• Regional Whitewater 4-H camp will be June 15th - 19th.
• Dairy Judging Practice begins on June 15th at 7:30 pm.
• The Beef Summer Showmanship Clinic will be on June 20th from 9 am to 2 pm at the Houston County Fairgrounds in Caledonia.
• The June Federation meeting will be on June 20th at 7 pm at the Extension Office in Room 108.
• The Demonstration Day will be on June 27th at 9 am at the Fairgrounds
• The Performing Arts Showcase will be on June 27th at 1 pm (Note change in Date and Time) at Christ Lutheran Church in Preston.

• Fillmore County Dairy Clinic will be on July 11th from 9 am to 1 pm at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds big barn.

• Fillmore County 4-H Dog show will be July 11th, at the Fairgrounds.
• The 2026 Fillmore County Fair will be July 20th - 26th.

Contact the Extension office or the Horse Project Development Committee with questions or to connect with Jesse outside of these dates.

Contact the Extension office or the Horse Project Development Committee with questions.

When: July 11th

Where: Fillmore Co Fairgrounds

What Time: 9 am - 1 pm

Who: Rachel Kurth, an expert showman and showmanship coach from Hutchinson, MN, will conduct a hands-on showmanship clinic. In addition, Kendra Waldenburger from Houston Co will do a hands-on fitting clinic.

Other Details:

Lunch will be provided. There will be live calves to work on. If you would like to volunteer use of some of your calves or want to be on the planning committee, please text Janet Kappers at 507-259-9322.

More details will be provided at a later date! Please plan to attend, it is an amazing opportunity to have Rachel and Kendra lead these clinics!

Join us from 1-3 pm on Sunday, June 14th at the Winona County Fairgrounds!

2026 American Dairy Goat Association Youth Representative Addy Wille will walk youth through hands-on handling of their dairy goat and discuss key points in putting on a good show, understanding what judges are looking for, and more! This will be a great kickstart for newer dairy goat youth and an in-depth refresher and opportunity for growth for more experienced youth.

Register and find more information in 4-H Online!

Houston and Fillmore County Beef youth are invited to join the Beef PDC for a Showmanship Clinic on Saturday, June 20th, at the Houston County Fairgrounds in Caledonia. Come for a day of fun learning and even some door prizes!

Youth will learn: Daily routines, hair care, showmanship, and what to feed your animal. Youth may bring their own cattle to work with.

Registrations are appreciated in 4honline by June 10th, but walk-ins are welcome. Registration at 9:00 am, Clinic starting promptly at 9:30 am - 2:00 pm.

Lunch will be provided by Houston County Cattlemen and Beef PDC.

Youth in grades 6+ are invited to participate in an opportunity to explore agriculture and food science through hands-on learning and tours. Join us on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9 for the Agriculture and Food Science Exploration (AFSE) Day. Youth will explore careers in agronomy, animal science, and food science by participating in engaging tours and hands-on learning labs. Activities and topics for the days include:

Wednesday, July 8

• Tour of John Deere Factory and Museum in Waterloo, IA

Thursday, July 9

• Local farm tours to learn about agronomy and animal science.

• Hands-on food science labs.

• Program Graduation Ceremony.

Registration fee is $20 and the deadline to register is June 24. Learn more and register at https://z.umn.edu/AgandFoodExplorationDay

The Olmsted County 4-H Horse Project invites youth and teams to participate in our Horse Judging Competition at the Olmsted County Fair at Graham Park on Wednesday, July 29th, at 5:30 pm.

Youth will have the opportunity to compete as individuals or as a team of up to 5 people. Awards for placings in halter and performance will be given for individuals and teams. There will not be a reasons competition. Instead, there will be a Reasons clinic while results are calculated.

● When: July 29- Competition starts at 5:30 pm

● Online Registration Deadline: July 26

● Where: Olmsted County Fair at Graham Park

● Who: Individuals and Teams in 4-H, FFA, or who are interested in competing

● Cost: $15 per individual or $50 per team

Registration Link

Information Flyer

For questions, please connect with Olmsted County 4-H Extension staff at mnext-olmsted@umn.edu or call the Olmsted County Extension Office at 507-328-6214.

Greetings!

It is camping season! 4-H camps provide opportunities for guided outdoor learning experiences. Campers can choose activities that interest them and try new and challenging things, all while gaining important skills such as confidence, independence, and resiliency. There are several overnight camp options in our region, as well as day camps in almost all counties. Contact your local Extension Office to learn more about what is being offered!

Time spent outdoors in nature can have many health benefits, including reducing stress and increasing cardiovascular health. Check out these Extension-sponsored activities to give you and your family ideas for fun and educational things to do this summer season.

Lisa Dierks
Regional Director, Southeast
dierksl@umn.edu

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!

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.

About the Scholarship.

As of June 2025 the Foodstand Committee has started a scholarship program to encourage youth involvement on the Committee. One hundred percent of youth in the county are eligible, pending they meet the following requirements:

· Are active on the Foodstand Committee with multiple years on the committee.

· Display leadership skills within the committee and food stand.

· Dedicate time to attend meetings.

· Help with food stand set up and take down.

· Provide extra support in the food stand above and beyond a scheduled four-hour shift.

Youth in grades 7 through the youth’s last eligible year in 4-H who have had longevity with the committee and met the above requirements would be eligible for $200 per year of involvement, with a maximum of $1000 if involved all years from grades 7 through post-high school.

Our goal is to grow future leaders who come back to our program as alumni and support the 4-H Program.

Contact Alex at the Extension office for other scholarship opportunities.

The Fillmore County Extension Master Gardeners have put together horticulture educational kits to be used around the county. These kits are available for check out by clubs. There are 17 different kits available each with a different project. These would be great for club leaders to use at meetings or you could invite an Extension Master Gardener to your meeting to lead the project!

The kits are free to use, but supply replenishment may be needed for some kits. The easiest and quickest way to do this is to bring a check for $20 (written to: "Regents of the University of Minnesota") when you return the kit so that we can replenish those supplies. You can also replenish them yourself.

These kits are available on a first come first serve basis, and Extension Master Gardeners have priority. However, we will do our absolute best to make turn around times short so everyone can use the kit they want!

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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