The Fourcast

Of course, we know that there will always be more questions to be asked and answers to be given, so, with that said, if your household ever has a question or concern about anything related to 4-H, please do not hesitate to connect with 4-H staff at the Hubbard County Extension Office by calling 218-732-3391 or emailing mnext-hubbard@umn.edu.

We can't wait to celebrate a year of learning with all of our 4-H youth and their supporters throughout the upcoming showcase season!

Minnesota 4-H is still looking to hire an Interim 4-H Program Associate for Hubbard County to support the 4-H program while Educator Brooke Remer is on maternity leave!

This Interim 4-H Program Associate will manage the day to day coordination and delivery of local 4-H programming in partnership with the Summer 4-H Intern and County Administrative Assistant. This temporary position has a flexible start date from May-early June 2026. View the job description (z.umn.edu/interimapp). To be considered for the position, applicants must complete the application (z.umn.edu/interimapp) and an intake survey (z.umn.edu/interimscreening).

Please send questions to Kate Holland, 4-H Interim Hires and Onboarding Coordinator, at kharring@umn.edu.

We are less than four days from the May 15, 2026, 4-H Animal ID Deadline!

Remember: All other animals, including breeding heifers, cow/calf pairs, prospect calves (steers and heifers), dairy, dairy goats, dog, horse, llama-alpaca, meat goats, poultry (doves and pigeons), rabbits, sheep, and swine must be owned or leased, tagged or tattooed and identified in 4-H Online by May 15, 2026. While there is plenty of time to get these additional animal IDs completed, please remember that you can always get started now if you already have your animals and are ready to complete the ID process. This letter has more information and guides on the ID process for all other animals.

Need Animal ID Tags or Taggers? Give the Hubbard County Extension Office a visit during our core office hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday from 8:30-2:00 or by scheduling a time to stop in by calling 218-732-3391.

Please note that Cloverbuds in grades K-2 do not need to ID animals in 4-H Online, but their animals attending the fair need to meet all Board of Animal Health exhibition requirements.

A great one-stop resource that our Extension Office has developed over the last year is the Hubbard County 4-H Family Resource Folder, which is filled with key information on our local 4-H program. Within this Resource Folder is a sub-folder just for the 2026 Summer Showcases! In this 2026 4-H Showcase Resource folder, you'll find things like:

• The 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Premium Book
• The 2026 4-H Showcase Deadlines and Schedules
• FairEntry Exhibit Registration Information
• Volunteer Sign Ups
• 4-H Premium Auction Fundraiser Information
• ...and more!

There are many important dates related to the 2026 summer showcase season that your household should be aware of, and they are all listed in the 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Showcase Schedule! This document includes a complete list of 4-H shows, events and deadlines.

As your 4-H'er thinks of what exhibits they want to showcase this summer, be sure to review the exhibit suggestions and requirements for all 4-H project areas in the 2026 Hubbard County 4-H Premium Book!

Beyond exhibit suggestions and requirements, the 4-H Premium Book also has great information to help your household be best prepared for the upcoming showcase season with information including:

• 4-H Schedules
• Exhibitor Judging Tips
• Information on Premiums (cash prizes for exhibiting)
• Descriptions of Ribbon Color and Award Meanings
• ...and more!

All Hubbard County 4-H key club leaders will receive a printed copy of the 4-H Premium Book in the mail to use as they assist their club's members navigate what it means to register and exhibit with 4-H, but your household can also request and pick up a printed copy of the 4-H Premium Book from the Extension Office.

When registering exhibits for the fair, please keep in mind that the quality of the projects exhibited is more important than the quantity of exhibits brought to the showcase for judging. To be respectful of our judges’ time, and our staffs’ time and resources, we ask that youth only register for exhibits you know you will be able to complete by the time of the fair and limit yourself to two (2) exhibits in each project area with the exception of interviews, Cloverbud animal science entries, showmanship, dog, horse, and llama-alpaca classes where youth are able to register to bring one exhibit per class. Cloverbud general exhibits are exempt from this registration limitation. If your family has any questions or concerns regarding this, please contact the Extension Office.

While volunteering is not a requirement, we do strongly suggest that all 4-H households consider volunteering their time for at least one volunteer shift during the week of the fair to help all of the 4-H events run smoothly for the sake of our youth's positive experience.

To volunteer with the 4-H Showcases, review the available volunteer opportunities in our 4-H Showcase Volunteer Opportunities document and add a “comment” with your name, or your family member’s name, for the roles you are planning to fill as a volunteer. To volunteer, you do not need to be a screened volunteer with Minnesota 4-H - and even youth can help out, too! If you are not sure what is all involved in a given role, check out the Volunteer Role Descriptions for more information.

REMEMBER: All 4-H households with youth hoping to receive a 4-H Leaders Council event scholarship to a regional- or state-level showcase event, like State Fair, State Horse, State Dog, or State Shoot, must have someone from their household volunteer with the Pre-Fair Setup on Monday, June 29, at 5:00 PM, with the Post-Fair Cleanup on Sunday, July 19, at 8:00 AM, and at one 4-H showcase event at one of the showcase opportunities (opportunities are listed in this document).

Questions can be directed to the Hubbard County Extension Office at 218-732-3391 or mnext-hubbard@umn.edu.

Starting June 1, 2026, registration for the 4-H Showcases will be open in FairEntry! For more information on how to register your 4-H exhibits for the fair on FairEntry, check out this quickstart guide or the detailed guide. When registering in FairEntry, you are able to begin an "invoice" of exhibit registrations, log out, and return later to make edits until the registration deadline - you can even submit a second "invoice" if you forgot to register an exhibit! After hitting "Submit" on your 4-H'er's exhibit registrations, you should get an email sent to you confirming the exhibits that have been registered. Please review that confirmation email closely to ensure that an exhibit was not missed! If your family is struggling to register your 4-H'er for the fair, please do not hesitate to contact our Extension staff - we are more than happy to help complete this process with you!

There are a few exhibits and activities that will not be registered for in FairEntry, but, instead through a SignUp Genius. These exhibits and activities include:

• Club Exhibits (banners, community pride, scrapbook, SignUp Genius)
• MN Meats Contest Teams (rules, SignUp Genius)

Be sure to register for all exhibits and team activities by the registration deadline of 11:59 PM on Monday, June 15! For any entries registered after this deadline, please refer to the Hubbard County Competitive Events: Deadlines, Consequences, and Exemptions document, which outlines how your youth can still participate in the county showcases with limitations.

Please remember that enrolling and/or identifying animals in 4-H Online does NOT mean that you are registered to exhibit at the fair!

All exhibits shown during the fair will remain on-site at the fairgrounds until exhibit release on Sunday, July 19. Please plan accordingly to care for your animals and/or plants during the week of the fair. Exhibitors who remove their exhibits from their display location prior to the time of exhibit release will forfeit their premiums, auction proceeds, and/or state or regional trips.

Did you know that your household could camp on-site during the week of the fair for one, two or even all five nights of the fair for just $40? If your household is interested in camping on-site at the fairgrounds during the week of the fair, please complete a Camping Registration Form and return it with payment to Burt Hill at Harvala Appliance in Park Rapids by Monday, July 13, 2026.

There are a few special awards given out by Hubbard County 4-H every year, but we need to receive nominations for these awards in order to give them out! Check out this list of special awards and, if you think of someone worth nominating, please complete the linked nomination form and submit it to the Extension Office by July 17! Nomination forms will also be available at the 4-H/Extension Info Table in the Exhibit Hall during the fair.

The Tonia Johannsen Animal Science Award is awarded to an exhibiting 4-H youth member, typically an older youth, to recognize how they have gone above and beyond to help other 4-H’ers - even their competition. Those nominated for this award should be 4-H’ers who positively live out the 4-H motto, show great leadership in the 4-H program, and have gone out of their way to help others and encourage them to be their best selves as 4-H’ers, as the person who this award is named after would have done.

To nominate someone for the Tonia Johannsen Animal Science Award, please complete a 2026 Tonia Johannsen Award Nomination Form.

The 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award is awarded to a screened Minnesota 4-H volunteer serving in Hubbard County who has done an outstanding job volunteering in club, program or other general 4-H opportunities provided to 4-H youth members over the course of the last year. Those nominated for this award should be actively screened 4-H volunteers in Hubbard County whose service as a volunteer has had a significant positive impact on the lives of 4-H youth.

To nominate someone for the 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award, please complete a 2026 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award Nomination Form.

The 4-H Family of the Year Award is awarded to an active 4-H household in Hubbard County whose 4-H youth are active members in the program and whose parents/guardians are engaged in supporting their 4-H youths’ experiences in their project learning. As a whole, the household displays active involvement in 4-H opportunities provided to 4-H youth through whole-family participation, demonstrates positive youth development within their home, and devotes sharing their time and talents with one another and other 4-H households. Nominated families should have exhibited how they use their head, heart, health and hands to support the 4-H program, its youth members, and the general 4-H community.

To nominate someone for the 4-H Family of the Year Award, please complete a 2026 4-H Family of the Year Award Nomination Form.

Did you know that 4-H'ers who showcase at the county level also have the opportunity to earn a trip to state and/or regional 4-H showcase events? Following each judging experience or show, the judge will create a State Event Lineup for their given project areas judged based on the quality of the exhibit and the youth's presentation of the exhibit. For any given project area, Hubbard County is allotted a certain number of trips, called our quota, that can be awarded based on the size of our program. These State Event Lineups will be posted in the 4-H Exhibit Hall where youth can either opt to accept or decline their awarded trip(s). The 4-H State and Regional Showcase Information document outlines eligibility for these trips as well as the dates and costs associated with each of the events. If your 4-H exhibit places within the allotted quota of state event trips, you'll need to either accept or decline the awarded State 4-H Event trip by noon on Saturday, July 18, 2026. For more details on policies surrounding accepting State 4-H Event trips, please check out the State Fair or State Show Eligibility rules on page 11 of the 4-H Premium Book.

Please note that, as of May 1, some of the costs associated with each event have not yet been updated. Those highlighted in yellow are still being finalized at this time. Please check back later for an updated version of the 4-H State and Regional Showcase Information document.

An important part of any animal science project is learning about responsible and ethical care and show practices when working with animals from proper handling techniques to animal nutrition. Because 4-H values these ethical practices, all 4-H youth in grades 6+ who plan to show any livestock animal, including beef, dairy, dairy goats, lama, meat goats, poultry, rabbit, sheep or swine, at the Minnesota State Fair or the NE Livestock Show must complete one of the two training options – Livestock Quality Assurance and Ethics (LQA&E) or Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) before the start of the Hubbard County 4-H Showcases at the Hubbard County Fair. In 2026, all records of completed LQA&E or YQCA trainings must be submitted to the Hubbard County Extension Office by 11:59 PM on Monday, June 29, 2026.

If your 4-H’er in grade 6+ is due to complete, or renew, their LQA&E Training (or YQCA) certification this year in order to be eligible to advance to the Minnesota 4-H State Fair Livestock Encampment or NE Livestock Show, your family should have received an email from Educator Brooke Remer in February to notify you and invite your 4-H’er to participate in the LQA&E training opportunity hosted by Hubbard County 4-H. If, however, your 4-H’er was not re-enrolled at that time, you would not have received the message.

If your 4-H’er was unable to attend the LQA&E training opportunity hosted by Hubbard County 4-H in March, please take a look at the other LQA&E opportunities happening throughout the state to find one that would suit your family's schedule, or plan to complete the online YQCA training option for this year.

If your 4-H'er does not plan to show livestock this year (or plans to only show at the county level), then they do not need to complete, or renew, their LQA&E Training.

If you love the state fair atmosphere or would just like to take in the experience that the 4-Her's have, here is your chance! For the 4-H youth who advance to the State Fair, they have the opportunity to stay in 4-H-provided housing while at their encampment, and we need screened volunteer chaperones to watch over these youth and help provide a great experience for them during their time at the great Minnesota get together! As a thank you to our chaperones, Hubbard County 4-H will pay for your lodging (4-H-provided housing), meals (4-H-provided in the dining hall), and mileage reimbursement for the travel to and from the fairgrounds! If this sounds like a role for you, please consider completing a State Fair Chaperone Interest Form or contacting the Extension Office!

Are you new, or newer, to the 4-H Livestock Project or want to explore a new species this year in 4-H? Check out the 'Barn Buddy' Mentor Program with Hubbard County 4-H!

The Barn Buddy Mentor Program allows 4-H youth who are new(er) to the Livestock Project to jumpstart their 4-H Livestock Project journey in any species and to dive into knowledge and skill development in order to have a positive experience from selecting an animal to work with all the way to showing at the fair! 4-H youth in the Barn Buddy Mentor Program will be paired with an experienced 4-H youth or alumni member to receive one-on-one support and guidance in their species of interest. Youth participating in the Barn Buddy Mentor Program can expect to get hands-on experiences as they learn about animal care, showmanship skills, and project management. To request a barn buddy, please complete this short survey!

4-H County Fair Barn Superintendents help provide a positive experience for 4-H Livestock Project members and their animals while at the county fair. These volunteers collaborate with 4-H staff, the fair board and the fair vet to ensure a successful experience for all! If your household has questions or concerns that pop up during the week of the fair, please be sure to connect with the species superintendent to get help answering your questions or resolving concerns! The contact information for all 4-H barn superintendents will be posted in the Paulson Livestock Pavilion in the metal cabinet near the show arena announcer table.

The Hubbard County 4-H Dog Project leaders invite those interested in participating in the 2026 Dog Project Training Sessions to join them on Tuesdays beginning April 21, 2026, at the Hubbard County Fairgrounds at 6:00 PM in the grand stand pavilion area. Each training will build upon the last, so attendance is strongly encouraged each week! For more information on the 2026 Dog Project Training Session requirements for participation, please check out the 2026 Dog Project Information or connect with one of the listed project leaders!

Be sure to join the Livestock Project Development Committee (PDC) on Monday, May 18, at 6:00 PM to discuss happenings for the livestock project area in Hubbard County 4-H! The meeting will be at the Hubbard County Extension Office (201 Fair Ave, Park Rapids), but, if you aren't able to be at the meeting in-person, members are welcome to join virtually via Zoom (joining instructions will be emailed to 4-H households the day of the meeting). Be sure to come prepared for discussions with fresh ideas and feedback to continue to improve the Livestock Project for our 4-H members!

Note: This May 18 meeting is in place of the regular first Monday of the month meeting, as there will be no 4-H staff working on May 4 due to 4-H Educator Brooke's upcoming maternity leave. Other Livestock PDC meetings over the summer will take place on June 1, July 6 and August 3!

The Hubbard County 4-H Shooting Sports and Wildlife Program, a part of the Targets & Trails 4-H Club, will be hosting an introduction night from 6:00-8:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, at the Osage Sportsman's Club (25315 Co Hwy 48, Osage, MN 56570).

This will be a great opportunity for youth who are in grades 3-13 to learn more about each of the disciplines offered in 4-H's Shooting Sports project, including:

• BB Gun (grades 3-13)
• Archery (grades 3-13)
• Air Rifle/Pistol (grades 4-13)
• .22 Rifle (grades 6-13 with a DNR Firearms Safety Course Certification)
• Muzzleloader/Axe Throwing (grades 7-13 with a DNR Firearms Safety Course Certification)
• Shotgun (grades 7-13 with a DNR Firearms Safety Course Certification)
• Wildlife Education (grades K-13)

The certified project leaders will share details about each discipline like when and where practices will take place, what parental consents are needed, what the program fees will be, and how youth can qualify for the MN 4-H State Shoot Invitational at the end of summer.

The Hubbard County 4-H Livestock PDC invites all enrolled 4-H youth in grades K-13 to join us for a day filled with exploring animal science projects on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the Hubbard County Fairgrounds (201 Fair Ave, Park Rapids, MN)! We will kick off the day at 8:45 AM with event check-in followed by an introduction to biosecurity reminders at 9:00 AM. Between 9:20 and 11:30 AM, youth and their families will start to engage in species sessions rotating through the cattle, swine, sheep, goat, poultry, and rabbit projects before digging into a delicious lunch of pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, mac n’ cheese, chips and dessert catered by the Y Steak House! During lunch the Livestock PDC will be hosting an informal trivia session for those wanting to join. Then, in the afternoon, youth and their families will continue their learning with species sessions rotating through the remainder of the species sessions they didn’t get to participate in during the morning portion of the day. The day will wrap up with a reflection and great take-aways at 2:15 PM in time to send off families by 2:30/3:00 PM. This event is sure to help all 4-H’ers feel more prepared for the upcoming county fair show experience!

Pre-registration is required in 4-H Online to be included in the meal count for lunch, and registration is open to all enrolled 4-H youth in grades K-13. There is no cost to attend, and a light lunch catered by the Y Steak House will be provided! Registration will be open from May 11-28, 2026. Questions? Contact the Hubbard County Extension Office at mnext-hubbard@umn.edu or 218-732-3391.

Families are encouraged to bring a collapsible camp chair, a water bottle, and a notebook and pen/pencil to take down notes - there will be a lot of great information shared, and you won’t want to forget it!

Join the Hubbard County 4-h Horse Project as we travel to Deer River for an overnight training experience hosted by Michelle Jerry, Heart and Hooves Horsemanship (Lee Road, Deer River, MN 56636). This 2-day experience will take place June 24-25, 2026, and will provide youth in grades 3-13 the opportunity to build confidence, gain skills, and grow in partnership with their 4-H project horse both on the ground and in the saddle! Training sessions will begin at 9:00am each day and end at 4:00pm on June 24 and 3:00pm on June 25. Day 1 (June 24) will focus on ground control, including understanding horse behavior, safe handling and communication, respect and responsiveness, and obstacle work for confidence. Day 2 (June 25) will focus on riding, including bringing the ground skills learned the day prior to the saddle, body control and softness, confidence-building exercises, an optional obstacle work. Pre-registration is required in 4-H Online, and is open to all enrolled 4-H youth in grades 3-13. There is no cost to attend this event.

A parent/guardian will be expected to attend this overnight training opportunity with their 4-H youth to provide transportation of the youth and their horse as well as overnight supervision whether staying on-site overnight (up to 12 electrical hookups are available along with other camping options) or off-site.

Remember:

All 4-H’ers participating in any 4-H sponsored mounted activity are required to wear properly fastened ASTM/SEI approved protective headgear. Helmet use is required when mounted. This policy also extends to 4-H volunteers when they are working with 4-H youth in a 4-H volunteer role during mounted activities.

All horses attending the training must be completely ID’d in 4-H Online including having proof of a current negative Coggins test result.

Registration will be open from May 11-June 19, 2026, or until all 15 spots are filled!

Once youth are registered in 4-H Online, the Extension Office will send a confirmation email with directions on how to complete the second part of registration through Heart & Hooves Horsemanship. Questions? Contact the Hubbard County Extension Office at mnext-hubbard@umn.edu or 218-732-3391.

Join the Hubbard County 4-H Livestock Project Development Committee (PDC) as they host monthly summer trivia nights the hour prior to PDC meetings! Trivia nights will be held from 5:00-6:00 PM at the Hubbard County Extension Office (201 Fair Ave, Park Rapids, MN 56470) on June 1, July 6 and August 3, 2026, and will cover a variety of animal science trivia knowledge at each session. There is no cost to attend, and all 4-H youth members in grades 3-13 are welcome to register to attend one or all sessions throughout the summer! There will be pizza and water available for those who pre-register in 4-H Online by at least 2:00 PM the day of a trivia session. Registration will be open May 18-August 3. Questions? Contact the Hubbard County Extension Office at mnext-hubbard@umn.edu or 218-732-3391.

Registration is now open for all three NW MN 4-H overnight camps! Whether you’re a returning camper, or trying overnight camp for the first time, you’ll be surrounded by friendly counselors, enthusiastic staff and a community of peers excited to make new memories together. Learn more about each by clicking the links below.

z.umn.edu/CampAtSandHillLake

z.umn.edu/JuniorCamp

z.umn.edu/4HOutdoorAdventuresCamp

If your family is looking for more opportunities with 4-H, be sure to check out the May 4-H Clover Update Newsletter! It’s filled with additional regional and state-wide program opportunities open to 4-H’ers. As you think about registering for regional or state-wide programs, don’t forget to apply for scholarships to cover 50% or more of the registration fee as well as to reimburse mileage for families carpooling!