Fillmore County 4-H News

• The Extension Office will be close on May 25th for Memorial Day.
• Open Goat Show Pen Tear Down on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds big barn.
• The June General Exhibits Meeting will be on June 3rd at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds at 6:30 pm.
• The June Auction Committee Meeting will be on June 3rd at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds at 7pm.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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!

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

DATE & LOCATION: June 10-11, 2026 Darr Auction 909 Larson Ln, Rushford, MN 55971

COST: $40 per student Scholarships available upon request

WHO CAN ATTEND: Ages 14+

This certificate is required for 14 and 15-year-olds who wish to work with equipment over 20 horsepower off of their family farm or homestead. Must be 14 by first day of session (June 10th). Program open to all youth 14+

Email: wins0115@umn.edu

Call the Fillmore County Office: 507-765-3896

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

As I drive through SE MN, it is evident that Spring has arrived! Green is everywhere, along with young calves and the start of planted fields. For the home gardeners, plant sales are popping up in many counties. Check your local Extension web page to see if there is one near you.

Also, just a reminder: Spring is a busy time on the farm and on our roadways. Let’s all give each other a little grace. Slow down, be patient, and enjoy the journey. We can all get home safely.
https://extension.umn.edu/farm-safety/tractor-and-rural-roadway-safety

Have a wonderful Spring!

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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