Happy New Year! Hello 2026!
On December 14th, 4-H members attended the Bromelsick Christmas Party at Royal Crest Lanes bowling alley, where members, families, and friends enjoyed a fun holiday celebration. The 4-H Members, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts were asked to bring hats, gloves, and socks that would be donated to the Lawrence Community Shelter. We were able to donate 155 items to help keep youth warm this winter.
To enroll for the 2025-2026 4-H Year, go to: https://4honline.com/#/user/sign-in
It is time to think about Douglas County 4-H Foundation Scholarship applications! The Douglas County 4-H Foundation is thoroughly committed to assisting 4-H members and alumni in advancing their education. Each year, a major portion of the Foundation’s budget is allocated to scholarships. Please visit our 4-H Foundation website for more information and application details HERE. The application period will close on February 2nd at 11:59 PM.
Please visit the State 4-H website at this link for more information and to register by January 26: https://www.kansas4-h.org/educational-experiences/project-based-events/conferences-events/citizenship-in-action/ Please call us at 785-843-7058 if you have any questions or would like to learn more.
Registration for County 4-H Club Day will be available starting January 1. Details and registration can be found at: https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/news-events/4h-news/4h-events/4-hclubdays.html. We can't wait to see you shine on March 7th!
The following slides are upcoming county-wide project meetings. These are for any youth in the project, or thinking about adding the project. Come out to your project meetings! You can learn a lot from your leader and other 4-H members while having fun! Please direct your questions to nnoyes@ksu.edu
For details and to register, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/9uufrv3/lp/4135411b-496d-4757-9c76-b7981f5e9bf2. Douglas County 4-H Council will provide a $10 scholarship to 4-H members who register.
RSVP for one or both meetings by January 7, 2026, at: https://bit.ly/SwineProjectMeetings. We require a minimum of five attendees, or the meeting will be canceled. We will notify you of any changes. Matt Kocher will lead these meetings with helpful information to assist Swine Project Members with their animals. Questions? Please email nharding@ksu.edu or call our office and speak with Nickie Harding. For any questions regarding YQCA in-service training, contact Nancy nnoyes@ksu.edu. This is a great way to attend your meeting and become YQCA certified for the Douglas County Fair, Kansas State Fair, and Kansas Junior Livestock Show.
This upcoming countywide Cloverbud meeting will explore the Sewing and Textile Designs Project. This meeting is for Cloverbuds (ages 5 & 6) and Juniors (ages 7 & 8). What a fun opportunity to learn and do a make-and-take! Remember Cloverbuds can have non-competitive entries at the Douglas County Fair. Also, Show and Share at County Club Day! Don't forget to RSVP to Kjrsten by January 5! kjrstena@hotmail.com
Brand new year! The first County-Wide Poultry Project meeting will kick off on January 18th at 1:00 p.m. in the Dreher Family 4-H Bldg. Are you in the project? This is for you! Come find out about buying show-quality birds, showing at the county fair, opportunities for judging, field trips, and more! Would you like more information? Email or call poultry project leader, Janine Leslie, at j9dolphins@hotmail.com. Please note that hatcheries are now accepting orders for chicks with delayed shipping. Please take a look at what's out there. Janine mentioned that the two hatcheries above have opened orders. Don't know what birds to order? You may want to visit https://www.feathersite.com/ or research a Poultry Guide book for more information. You can always give Janine a call or text at 785-330-3867 for assistance as well!
Our meeting dates are the 3rd Tuesday of each month. All winter meetings are held in the Dreher Building, starting at 6:30 p.m. We strive to finish by 7:30 p.m. The 2026 meeting dates are January 20, February 17, March 17, and April 21. Check emails or our club Facebook page for any updates! In May, we will begin our ride nights to prepare for the Douglas County Fair. We will post the calendar in early spring. The county fair horse show will be held on Sunday, July 26. If you have any questions about the club, please contact leader Bobbie Hinds at 515-480-3533 or email bobbiehinds@yahoo.com. The club's Facebook page is updated throughout the year with activities and can be found at Douglas County 4-H Horse Project Club
We will have our first Plant Science Project meeting on January 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the Dreher Family 4-H Building to discuss the upcoming months. Please RSVP to Nancy by January 16. We hope to plan a mix of speakers, educational topics, and leadership experiences. We are starting in January by prepping some collages for the 4-H Skillathon in March. We will also make seed and plant flashcards to practice horticulture judging. February - the Kaw Valley Seed Fair is not to be missed! We will have a Scavenger Hunt with prizes and all the free seeds you could need! The March meeting will be at the Skill-a-thon event and is an opportunity for you to share your knowledge of the project and plant information with younger youth. What an excellent leadership opportunity! Learn more about the project HERE. Questions? Contact Nancy Noyes, Project Leader and 4-H Program Assistant, nnoyes@ksu.edu
To find more project information, go to: https://www.kansas4-h.org/projects/animal-science/dog/. Lauren Berg, Dog Project Club Leader, may be reached at 785-917-0226 or by email at laurenrberg@yahoo.com. This project is a lot of fun! You and your dog are a team. Do you want to see how happy you will make your fur friend? They enjoy the exercise and mental stimulation, if they are really active, Dog Agility just may be their "thing". Rally, Obedience, Showmanship - it's all fun. Be sure to enroll and start your project.
4-H had a planning meeting with the KU student leaders, and we've got some exciting activities planned! We have two new PhD students in KU Natural Sciences who have joined us, so we will expand to incorporate their areas of research! A registration link will be sent through 4-H Online in January for anyone interested in signing up for the six meeting sessions. There is no cost associated with the SPIN Club, and you do not need to be an enrolled 4-H member to participate. Share with your friends! This has been a really fun educational club for the participants! Call us at 785-843-7058 if you want to know more about this SPIN Club!
Money Smarts is a hands-on financial literacy event designed for youth ages 11–14. Participants will explore real-world financial skills through fun, interactive stations. We are excited to have community leaders explain the basics of budgeting and help youth understand the true costs of owning a car. They will test their knowledge in a life-like simulation where they will roleplay the life of a young adult making monthly money decisions. The participants will visits stations to make essential spending choices for housing, transportation, food, childcare, insurance, and more. This event is organized by Douglas County 4-H Extension, SparkWheel, and LiveWell Douglas County. Lunch will be provided. Participants do not have to be an enrolled 4-H member. Contact Nancy, nnoyes@ksu.edu with any questions!
Plan your getaway for summer camp at Rock Springs Ranch! Early-bird registration is now open until the end of the year! Douglas County dates are scheduled for June 2-5, 2026. Please visit our website to learn more about the 4-H camp experience and how to register. It is truly an amazing and memorable experience! Have fun in a beautiful setting while meeting new friends!
Please consult this calendar for all livestock project-related events and updates. Our Douglas County 4-H website has a section dedicated to livestock. Find that HERE. All the following slides pertain to Animal Science Projects. These are important dates to consider when planning your project year.
Beef Project Members who intend to exhibit market beef at the Douglas County Fair are required to attend this important meeting on January 4 at 2:00 p.m. You must RSVP at: https://forms.gle/7gHxbNhCvm338V7v7! Please address any questions to Nickie nharding@ksu.edu. Pay careful attention to the slides about beef tagging and weigh-in, as well as other relevant information, if you plan to show beyond the county fair. Also, a reminder, you must complete your annual recertification of YQCA training. Do not forget to register ON THE SITE! Please see the next slide for details and head over to yqcaprogram.org to log in or create your account. Once you are on the site, the instructions should be self-explanatory. Our county in-person dates are listed under the Kansas tab. For questions regarding YQCA, contact Nancy nnoyes@ksu.edu
All Douglas County 4-H Members
who plan to exhibit a class of livestock that produces meat, milk, fiber, or other saleable products
must complete YQCA certification testing annually. I have updated the 2026 class offerings for in-person Douglas County. Please log in to the site using the same email address that you previously used, which is applicable to all family members. Important: All 7-year-old 4-H members must take their first YQCA course in person! Here is a helpful guide: https://yqcaprogram.org/local/resources_for_youth_parents.php. You will need to register on the site and PAY THE $3 DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR. We do not take payment, and we cannot register members. Be sure to register in the name of your 4-H member! Registration is tied directly to the issuance of the certificate, which will allow you to enter animals in the Douglas County Fair, Kansas State Fair, and the Kansas Junior Livestock Show.
K-State Junior Beef Producer Day – Saturday, March 7, 2026 | Registration Deadline – February 13, 2026 | Cost - $20/person by February 13 ($30/person after February 13) *Only those who register by February 13 will receive a t-shirt. **Both youth and adults attending (including parents) need to register. ***No refunds. Online Registration Only. Visit the State 4-H Youth Livestock page for details and to register here.
All Market Beef intended to exhibit at the Douglas County Fair must be tagged by March 8, 2026. Register by March 4, 2026, at: https://bit.ly/2026BeefTagging. Remember, one sign-up per family. Please direct any questions to Nickie Harding at nharding@ksu.edu.
Our Annual 4-H Spring Livestock Show will be on April 25th at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This show is open to all Kansas 4-H youth to enter. Please watch for more details to come soon! If you are interested in serving on the Spring Livestock Show Committee, please email Nickie at nharding@ksu.edu by January 15.
Check out the following slides for opportunities to serve others in your community, both as an individual and as a club member. Leaders and members, please feel free to share any community service opportunities you find that are suitable for our 4-H Program with Nancy at nnoyes@ksu.edu so that we can share them for the greater good.
To apply, go to: https://forms.gle/HB72taqyZmy4wyDr9
January 2 - State 4-H Horse Judging Contest Entry Deadline, Online
January 4 - Mandatory Beef Project Meeting for any prospective market beef exhibitor, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Building (Registration Required)
January 11 - County-Wide Swine Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg. (RSVP Required)
January 11 - County-Wide Cloverbud Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg. RSVP Required to kjrstena@hotmail.com by January 7
January 18 - County-Wide Poultry Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg.
January 20 - County-Wide Plant Science Project Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg. RSVP to Nancy by January 16
January 23 - 25 - State 4-H Horse Judging Contest and Equifest, Topeka
February 2 - 4-H Foundation Scholarship Applications due by 11:59 p.m., Online
February 13 - Junior Beef Producer Day, Registration Deadline, Online
February 14 - Plant Science Project Club Mtg. at KAW Valley Seed Fair, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Building 21
February 15 - 16 - Citizenship In Action, Topeka (Registration Coming Soon)
February 21-26 - Horse Panorama, Rock Spring Ranch (Registration Deadline January 30)
March 7 - County 4-H Club Day, Douglas County Fairgrounds (Registration Opens, January 1)
March 7 - YQCA In-Person Training #1- 1:30 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Building
March 8 – Douglas County Fair Market Beef Weigh-In, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Community Building - Sign Up Required
March 17 - 4-H Project Skill-a-Thon, 8:30 a.m., Douglas County Fairgrounds (Details and Registration Coming Soon)
April 12 - Swine Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Building (RSVP Required)
April 12 - 2nd In-Person YQCA Training, 3:30 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Building
April 25 - Douglas County Spring Livestock Show, Douglas County Fairgrounds
May 1 - 4-H Enrollment Deadline to be eligible to exhibit at the 2026 Douglas County Fair
May 1– Kansas State Fair/KJLS Market Beef Nominations due online
May 12 - Douglas County Fair Final Small Livestock Weigh-In, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Open Pavilion
May 27 - Final In-Person YQCA Training - 6:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Building
Credits:
Created with images by Design Stock - "Sparkler ignites golden glitter 2026 new year celebration" ��� Brad Pict - "Save the date"