Nobles 4-H Newsletter

Check out our 2026 premium book. It is now available here, on our website, and will be posted to Facebook soon. Be sure to read Page 5 as it highlights all of the major changes for this year's fair. If you would like a printed copy mailed to you, please contact the office at 507-295-5315.

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.

We have been asked to forward this to youth/families. Greta, a youth from Olmsted County, is working on a community service project. Feel free to participate.

Many 4-H and FFA members have an interest in learning more about livestock or showing but may not have access to resources. We now have a form for those interested in mentoring youth or leasing their animals so we can connect them with interested youth. Anyone in the southwest region who is interested in connecting with youth to lease animals or livestock is encouraged to fill this form out.

Form

If you are a youth interested in leasing livestock for the fair or to learn more about livestock, this is a spreadsheet filled out by local livestock owners specifically for 4-Hers.

Spreadsheet

JBS would like to invite local 4-H to a tour for our 18+ year old 4-H members to learn about the facility and about the career opportunities within the facility. Did you know they have physical therapists onsite?!

The tour will be June 10th at 9am-11:30am with lunch included. Youth will need to be 18 years old or older to be able to enter the facility. If you are interested, please register here this form will be used to ensure there is the correct size of PPE for you!

For those that register, there will be an informational email shared prior to the event.

Ready to take on the world beyond the classroom? “Beyond the School Bell: Unlock Your Next Level” is a hands-on, fun, and practical experience designed for youth in 7th grade and up. Build real-life skills that will help you navigate your next steps - whether that’s college, a job, or everyday independence. FREE! May 3, 1:00–4:30 PM Murray County Fairgrounds 4 H Building 3048 Broadway Ave., Slayton, MN 56172 Come meet new people, try new things, and start building your “next level” toolkit!

Registration is through 4-H Online. There is no deadline to register.

To learn more about this program, visit https://newvision.coop/4-h/. The deadline to sign up is June 12th, 2026.

The April Federation met on Monday, April 20 at 7:00 pm in the Farmer’s Room at the Nobles County Government Center. See the meeting notes here.

Bumble Bee Nest Quest is a public participation science project, tracking bumble bee nesting and characterizing nesting habitat. Volunteers are needed!

Nest Quest volunteers will attend an online training workshop, adopt a grid cell, and conduct 6, 20-minute surveys within that grid cell between June and August looking for bumble bee nests. Anyone is welcome to participate to gather this important data to help us refine bumble bee conservation plans.

Our first virtual training session will be held on May 7th from 5:30-7pm. Registration for this training is via Zoom.

Step right up and join the 2026 Minnesota 4-H Engineering Design Challenge (EDC)! This exciting statewide event invites youth in grades 3+ to work in teams to design and build a Rube Goldberg™–type machine that completes a two-part task: Win a carnival game every time and show the crowd you've won (e.g. make a sound, ring a bell, play a recording of a crowd cheering, raise a banner, lift up your prize stuffed animal in victory, etc). The goal of the EDC is to inspire creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking through hands-on engineering. This year’s theme is Step Right Up: The 4-H Marvelous Midway Challenge! Teams will bring the fun and excitement of a carnival midway to life by designing a machine inspired by classic fair games, attractions, and over-the-top chain reactions. Teams are made up of 3-8 youth and can compete as a Rookie (5-step machine for a team brand new to the EDC), Level 1 (10-step machines, grades 3-12), and Level 2 (10-step machines, experienced teams or grades 9-12). More details about the specific challenge task and important dates will be coming soon to the EDC website. Start talking to your friends, let your 4-H educator know you are interested, and get ready to engineer something marvelous!

Sound interesting? Join us for a kickoff webinar to get all the details on the 2026 Engineering Design Challenge and have your questions answered. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, April 29 from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Whether you're new to the challenge or a returning participant, get ready to imagine, design, and engineer your way to the midway! Learn more and register.

YELLO, Minnesota’s statewide 4‑H leadership conference, will be held June 9-12 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, bringing youth together for hands-on learning, teamwork and personal growth. Participants in grades 7+ will explore the theme Planting Seeds of Leadership through workshops, service projects, and opportunities to connect with peers. Registration is now open for this energizing and transformative experience for youth of all 4‑H backgrounds. Learn more and register.

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.

Minnesota 4-H Photography is excited to offer a statewide photography challenge to youth in grades K-13. In the "Buds & Blooms" 4-H photo challenge, youth are encouraged to explore ways to capture striking textures, vibrant colors, dramatic lighting, and unique perspectives that transform ordinary plants into captivating, eye‑catching images. Youth should select one photo and write 1-2 sentences stating why it’s special to them. Submit one (1) image (with no or minimal editing) and your statement explaining why the chosen photo is important in one email to fourhphoto@umn.edu by 11:59 p.m. on June 8. Find more information and rules: https://extension.umn.edu/event/buds-and-blooms-4-h-photography-challenge

For livestock judging enthusiasts in grades 6 - 12, camp will be held June 15-17, 2026, on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Presented by the University of Minnesota Livestock Judging Team and Coach Kyle Rozeboom, this in-depth judging clinic will teach you the fundamentals of livestock judging and evaluation, provide instruction with oral reasons and help you become more confident in livestock judging. Learn more and register.

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