Fillmore County 4-H News

• New 4-H Year began on October 1st. Remember to re-enroll.
• When re-enrolling, please enter the youth's email, if they have one, (preferably not a school email) as the member email so they also receive the information we send out.
• The 2026 Market Beef Weigh-in is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Lanesboro Sales Commission
• The Ambassadors will be holding a Cloverbud Craft Event on February 8th from 2 to 4 pm, in room 108 of the Extension office.
• There will be an ambassador meeting at 4 pm on February 8th, after the Cloverbud event, in room 108 of the Extension office.
• The 2026 Ambassador lock-in will be held March 6th to March 7th in Preston.
• The 2026 Fillmore County Fair will be July 20th - 26th.

Please remember that Fillmore County has a Central Weigh-in, which means our weigh-in is mandatory. If you do not attend this weigh-in, you will not be allowed to place over a blue ribbon or be eligible for a state fair trip with your market beef. If you are unable to attend this weigh-in, please contact the Extension Office as soon as possible so that we can work out alternative options.

We are again asking that families sign up for a time slot in order to keep the back up at a minimum. Please go to the 2026 Beef Weigh-in Sign up to reserve your time. We are also asking that you indicate how many head of cattle you are bringing in your trailer so we can have a general idea of how many animals to expect. If you are ride-sharing to weigh-in, please mark all families involved in the "Family Name" field of the sign-up.

Again this year, for all Beef animals: The USDA APHIS implemented an identification rule on electronic identification on November 5, 2024. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health updated their livestock exhibition ID requirements to comply with this rule. This rule changed what counts as official ID, not when official ID is needed. As a result of complying with these rules, Minnesota 4-H has changed our ID requirements as well.

• All beef animals identified after November 5, 2024, must have a Minnesota 4-H RFID Ear Tag.

• Exception: If an animal is already tagged with an RFID tag, do not remove that tag; that will be accepted in place of a 4-H tag. You must list all 15 digits of non-4-H tags on the ID.

Below is the Market Beef ID Form - Please print and have this ID form filled out with all requested information to hand in at weigh-in. Be sure to properly include breeds, birthdates, and if at all possible, which child would be showing each animal. If you do not designate a child for an animal, one will be assigned from your family.

Also below are the Beef Information Sheet and the Beef Identification Requirements sheet for your review/information.

If you have any questions about the rules or the weigh-in process, please contact Heather or Alex.

The Fillmore County 4-H Ambassadors will be hosting a Cloverbud Craft Day on February 8th from 2 - 4 Pm at the Fillmore County Extension office. All Cloverbuds are welcome to sign-up here and attend!

The theme of this craft day will be Spring into the food fun. Cloverbuds will get the opportunity to decorate some Spring/Valentines inspired Mini Cakes, Coloring sheets, and other crafts.

Please sign-up as soon as possible so we can get enough supplies.

Sign up at https://z.umn.edu/FCSpringCloverbuds26

The Fillmore County 4-H Ambassadors are excited to host their youth lock-in March 6-7th in Preston at the elementary/middle school. This will be an excellent opportunity to socialize with other 4-Hers and friends while participating in team-building activities, sports, and other fun.

Food and drinks are all included. Video games, sports, board games, recreational activities, and more.

The cost is $10 per child when you arrive.

Sign up at z.umn.edu/FCLock-in26

We would like to invite you to register a 4-H Project Bowl Team for the 2026 SE Invitational 4-H Project Bowl on Saturday, February 21 at the Byron High School in Byron, MN.

Tentative times for the day are:

8:45AM: Team Registration

9:15AM: Team Orientation

9:30AM: Contest Starts

Pre-entry is required. Registration must be postmarked by February 9, 2026, with a registration fee of $50/team. Please make checks out to University of Minnesota, Memo: Project Bowl Invitational Registration.

Team registration payments should be sent to:
Rochester Regional Office
Attn: Deb Sveen
140 Elton Hills Lane NW #201
Rochester MN 55901

A confirmation email with contest specifics including morning check-in time will be sent to listed team coaches approximately one week before the contest.

Team Question Submission: each participating team needs to provide 5 questions from the listed references by February 9, 2026. If there are multiple teams from the same county, questions must be different. These questions will help build our bank of questions for the 2026 SE Invitational Project Bowl. Questions should be submitted at the above link.

Important reminder: All listed team members must be currently enrolled in 4-H. Coaches must be approved screened Minnesota 4-H Volunteers. Each team will need to provide two volunteers to help the day of the contest as scorekeepers or timers.

Rules and references for 2026 project bowls

If you haven’t already seen the video produced about MN 4-H Project Bowls, here is a direct link to it: https://youtu.be/ZUI1132Rgt4; it can be a great promotional piece to introduce Project Bowl to those who have not experienced it.

If you have any questions, please contact one of these 4-H Extension Educators:
Aly Kloeckner - Goodhue County (651.385.3100 / schw1348@umn.edu)
Adam Stevermer - Mower County (507.438.2394 / stev0421@umn.edu)
Alex Coe - Fillmore County (507.765.3896/ coexx049@umn.edu)
Amy Nelson - Waseca County (507.835.0600/ dobbe007@umn.edu)
Kelsey Brandt - Nicollet County (507.934.7831/ brand785@umn.edu)
Sydney Mitchell - Le Sueur County (507-357-8525/ mitc1123@umn.edu)

Megan Wilson - Olmsted County (507-328-6217/ brads160@umn.edu)

If you're in 9th grade or above and would like to use your leadership skills, make friends, and work with youth this summer, we need you as a camp counselor! Apply to be a camp counselor for the 2026 SE Regional 4-H Summer Camp at Whitewater State Park (on Highway 74 between Elba and St. Charles).

SE MN 4-H Camp Counselor applications are now open for youth in grades 9 and older. Serving as a camp counselor is a key leadership activity for many 4-H youth. Camp counselors learn important leadership skills like persistence and teamwork. Camp counselors support younger youth in their learning and help them have an affirming and fun experience. Counselors work with staff to create and lead camp activities.

CAMP INFORMATION

• Regional 4-H Camp at Whitewater State Park in St. Charles, MN will take place June 14-20, 2026.

• 6-8th grade youth will attend June 15-17th

• 3-5th grade youth will attend June 17-19th

CAMP COUNSELOR TRAINING -Camp Counselor Trainings are tentatively set to take place April 10 -11th at Good Earth Village and May 3rd at Whitewater State Park. If you have conflicts on any of the dates we encourage you to apply anyway! Returning counselors will share experiences and assist with training new counselors.

Application available at: Counselor Application Here

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 2, 2026

Contact Camp Counselor Planning Committee with Questions:

Rebecca Paulson: 507-725-5807, rpaulson@umn.edu
Carrie O’Reilly: 507-635-6327, oreil175@umn.edu
Adam Stevermer: 507-437-9439, stev0421@umn.edu
Megan Wilson: 507-328-6217, brads160@umn.edu
Amanda Gebhart: 651-385-3100, gebha162@umn.edu

4-H Camp Counselor applications will be reviewed by Extension staff. You will be notified by March 1st, if you have been selected as a Camp Counselor.

It's time for our southeast regional project day! This fun and educational event is open to all 4-H members in Southeast Minnesota. It is designed to give youth hands-on learning opportunities that help them gain new skills and grow confidence in their abilities. The day starts at 9:00 am at the Byron Middle School and the last session ends at 2:00 pm. (For those who have attended in the past, note the change in location!) Youth can sign up for 1 class in each session. There are three sessions in the day. We take a break for lunch from 12 to 12:30 pm. Everyone needs to bring their own lunch. Please check out the information sheet to learn about all the classes being offered, the cost for each class and other details!

Olmsted and Winona Counties are hosting LQA&E at Dover-Eyota High School. This training on March 28 from 9 am - 12 pm will be held in Olmsted County but is open to youth in the SE region. LQA&E training is required for all state fair exhibitors. Youth may complete an in-person training, which is good for three fair seasons, or the online YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) training, which is valid for one fair season. If you are unsure of if you need to take LQA&E this year, Contact Alex or Heather at the Extension Office.

To sign up go to z.umn.edu/OlmstedWinonaLQAE

Come test your skills with archery where you will have the opportunity to showcase your archery and wildlife skills and learn from peers, coaches, and volunteers in a positive environment! Open to youth grades 4+. Register in 4-H Online by April 1, 2026. Medals will be awarded to the top individuals in the archery competition!

When: April 11, 2026

*Registration begins at 9am, competition begins at 10 am

*Youth are able to select what time works best for them to compete (there are time slot options)

Where: Morris Area Elementary School

Who: Youth in grades 4th-13th grade

Cost: $20 ($25 for walk-ins/late payment)

Find more details and register here:

https://extension.umn.edu/event/stevens-county-archery-invitational

It is time again to send in nominations for the Farm Family of the Year, which is awarded in each of our 87 counties. Is there someone in your community who is deserving? Use the form at this weblink to send in a nomination!

We are seeking members for County Extension Committees in Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, and Wabasha counties. Please consider sharing your experience with others and encourage them to apply. Please share my contact information if they would like to learn more.

The Department of Youth Development is seeking applicants for the educator position in Wabasha County, as well as undergraduate student applicants for its summer internship positions offered across the state. Interested applicants can find more details on the UMN Extension Careers page.

As you prepare for 2026, a goal could be to attend an in-person or virtual Extension educational offering. There are certainly many to choose from in the newsletter below!

Lisa Dierks

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!

Leading Economic Transformation

Join an applied learning cohort for public sector leaders from communities of all sizes. The cohort will help prepare you to navigate the evolving landscape of community economic development. The cohort will meet Wednesday afternoons 12:30-2:30 p.m. (CST) from Feb. 4 through March 11.

2026 Extension Women in Agriculture Network Conference

Registration is open for the 2026 Extension Women in Agriculture Conference! The conference will be held at The Park Event Center in Waite Park on Feb. 3. Registration, hotel information, the agenda, session descriptions and more can be found on the conference website, linked above.

5th Annual Pollinator Series

This year’s three-part webinar series from University of Minnesota Extension brings together expert educators, researchers, and Master Gardeners to highlight keystone plants and “Soft Landings” designs, share the latest findings from the UMN Bee Lab, and showcase successful pollinator projects from across the state. Learn practical, science-based steps you can take to help pollinators thrive in any space — large or small. The webinars will take place daily from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 26-28. Learn more and register at the link above.

3 ways to support food shelves in Minnesota

Food shelves are vital community resource hubs for people experiencing hunger. Check out three ways you can support Minnesota food shelves.

RSDP call for ideas

Do you have an idea to improve the sustainability of your Greater Minnesota community? All five Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships’ regional boards are inviting project ideas through Feb. 14. Award decisions will be made this spring. We'd love to hear your idea!

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.

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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