Sibley County 4-H Newsletter

The fruit will be delivered on Monday, March 23 starting approximately at 8:30 a.m. We will be looking for volunteers to help unload the fruit. Please let your Key Leader know if you can help out that day. Fruit will be delivered to the Sibley County Highway/Sheriff’s Department Shed in Gaylord across the street from the new Dollar General store. Each club will need to have ALL fruit picked up by 11:00 a.m. from the Sheriff's storage shed.

Animal Keeper/Trainer Looking for a responsible person to monitor the health and wellbeing of animals. Duties include preparing and distributing food, checking animals for signs of illness, cleaning enclosures, keeping records, and training animals. This person may also need to answer questions asked by the public and ensure that zoo visitors behave responsibly toward the exhibited animals. Applicants should have experience working with and training animals and good observational and record keeping skills.

Educational Programs Assistant Person needed to assist Educational Programs Instructor with zoo classes and animal demonstrations for children varying in age from preschool to college. Responsibilities include communicating with students, handling live animals safely, and answering questions. May also travel in a zoo van to present outreach programs at schools and care centers. Experience with animal handling and teaching/public speaking is a plus.

Gardener/Landscape Architect Person needed to care for the zoo’s plants and trees. Duties include planning what plants to use for each area, growing plants in the greenhouse, planting, weeding, and trimming bushes, hedges, and plants. Gardeners will harvest many plants to be used to feed the animals, water all plants utilizing irrigation systems, hoses, or by hand, and operate mowers and weed whippers.

Journalist Creative person needed to record plant and animal collections through photographs, videos, and published articles. Duties include gathering information from all departments at the zoo and publishing articles for the zoo newspaper, brochures, and website. Must possess skills in writing, photography, and computer usage and a strong interest in researching both plants and animals.

Shop Staff 1) Mechanics needed to maintain and repair zoo vehicles and equipment. If it has wheels and/or a motor, you will be responsible for repairing it. Applicants should have mechanical ability and automotive and welding experience. 2) Carpenter needed to work in construction and maintenance of zoo exhibits. Will design, build, and maintain all wooden structures throughout the zoo. Must be familiar with tools and possess basic skills in carpentry.

Food Service Staff 1) Cook’s assistant needed to help with the planning and preparation of meals in the zoo’s restaurant and for catered events. 2) Counter Workers needed at the zoo’s cafeteria and concession stands. Duties include taking orders, serving food, cleaning. Applicants for these positions are outgoing and willing to work hard. Previous experience is not required but should be comfortable working with the public.

Visitor Assistance Officer Person needed to operate and manage the admission booth, greet guests, scan tickets, hand out maps, and answer questions. Creates first contact with visitors so must possess a good attitude.

Livestock Quality Assurance & Ethics (LQA&E) training helps youth provide excellent care for their animals and ensure a high level of food safety to consumers. This training was designed to enhance the educational experience of 4-H animal science projects.

All youth participating as a Minnesota State Fair 4-H livestock exhibitor in beef, dairy, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, meat goat, dairy goat and llama - alpaca must have completed a livestock quality assurance and ethics training, for which there are two training options 1) a three hour in-person workshop (LQA&E) or 2) a one hour online training (YQCA). Youth completing either quality assurance training option will receive a certificate of completion. Please review the full LQA policy.

• Certification is required for state fair grade/age eligible youth prior to their home county fair qualifying show. The deadline for certification is Friday, July 24, 2026!

• The training accommodates multi-levels of learning for all ages. The level of training required is determined by the grade/age of the youth at the time the training takes place.

• Counties that have a swine marketing agreement with a packer that requires livestock quality assurance certification may require swine members (grade 3-13) to certify.

Minnesota 4-H youth are required to participate in one of two training options to be eligible for participation in the Minnesota 4-H State Fair shows. Participation in the training will promote responsible care of animals, help youth make informed decisions in animal care, and ensure that 4-H members understand the commitment to providing safe food products to consumers.

Event Details - Tuesday, June 2, 2026

5:30-8:30 (Check-in begins at 5:15 p.m.)

Johnson Hall, Nicollet County Fairgrounds, 400 Union Street in St. Peter

Registration -The registration deadline is Monday, June 1, 2026. Registration is open through 4H Online.

Cost - FREE

Audience - All 4-Her's in grades 6+ who may have the opportunity to show livestock at the state fair.