Happy February! We are happy you are here. Please read through all the upcoming 4-H events. It will be spring before we know it! let's all try to do a community service activity (or two!) in February in honor of someone we love for Valentine's Day!
To enroll and add projects for the 2025-2026 4-H Year by May 1, go to: https://4honline.com/#/user/sign-in
Last call for 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.
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!
Here is an at-a-glance for the spoken formal competitions on club day. For more in-depth rules and all the areas for competition visit our webpage https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/news-events/4h-news/4h-events/4-hclubdays.html You may compete in more than one area! it is great public speaking and communication experience. All members are encouraged to take topics from a project area for which you are enrolled and develop a presentation or demonstration. These can be given at club meetings, community events, trade and livestock shows.
4-H Project Skill-A-Thon Spring 2026! Youth will enjoy a morning of hands-on activities and projects while having fun learning new skills. Youth (recommended ages 5-10) will have the opportunity to experience various project areas as we complete activities as a group or in small break-out groups. Come learn about the 4-H Project areas from older 4-H members and volunteers! Registration link: https://bit.ly/20264HProjectSkillathon Registration Opens: February 1 | Registration Closes: March 6
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 visit 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 enrolled 4-H members. Contact Nancy, nnoyes@ksu.edu, with any questions! Registration will open February 9th! Watch for notifications.
The following slides are upcoming county-wide project meetings. These are for any youth in the project, or thinking about adding the project. Remember, you have until May 1st to drop or add a project; although it's better to be enrolled early so you are getting any focused messages and will know when meetings are happening! 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
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 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
EquiFest of Kansas was hosted in Topeka this past weekend, 1/23-1/25. Douglas County 4-H Horse Project Club had members attend and compete in 4-H and Open Horse Judging Contests and the Team was 2nd overall, reasons, and placings in the Intermediate Open Division. The members that attended placed well as individual which helped to win that 2nd Team Overall spot. Congratulations to Brenna, Hadley, Kinley and Joy! We are proud of your hard work and recognize the time it takes to become this proficient at horse appraisal. Thanks go to Bobbie Hinds, Horse Project Leader, for her excellent work with all the members.
We will have a short Plant Science Project meeting on February 14th before the KV Seed Fair to discuss the upcoming months. Please RSVP to Nancy by February 5th. We hope to plan a mix of speakers, educational topics, and leadership experiences. We are planning to prep 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. We need some volunteers to help with our sessions. We will be covering Horticulture, Crops, Ecology and Forestry. We will do a color wheel of vegetables with the youth! It's going to be fun and interactive. What an excellent leadership opportunity! Learn more about the Plant Science project HERE. Questions? Contact Nancy Noyes, Project Leader and 4-H Program Assistant, nnoyes@ksu.edu
Check out our new Facebook page! Douglas County KS Poultry Project We hope to see you at our monthly meetings. These are held in Dreher Family 4-H Building unless otherwise noted. These meetings are important for anyone who plans to show birds at the Douglas County Fair! Also, they are educational and will make you a poultry whiz and you could even make the team to compete at state in poultry judging. For questions or information, reach out to Leader Janine at 785-330-3867 or j9dolphins@hotmail.com
The KU Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and K-State Extension are teaming up to host a third session of the Biology SPIN Club! These sessions have been led by PhD students, and this year, we have two new PhD students in KU Natural Sciences who have joined us, so we will expand to incorporate their research areas! To Sign Up, go to: https://bit.ly/4HBiologySPIN . 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!
We will hold two sessions each day. Younger, inexperienced sewers meet from 10 AM to noon. Members with sewing experience will meet from 1 pm to 3 pm. March 18 morning session: We will spend some time getting to know the sewing machine, learning to thread it, and wind the bobbin. We will practice sewing on paper, learning how to sew straight and curvy lines. We will then do a small take-home project using straight stitching. March 18 afternoon session: Please bring a project that you might need some help with, and then we will do a take-home project using zippers. Please sign up by March 1st if you plan to attend; a minimum of five attendees is required. The link to sign up is https://bit.ly/4HSEWING. Our 4-H office will be sending a broadcast email with more details the week of February 8th to all CURRENTLY enrolled in Sewing & Textile Design, so if you think you want to add this project, please do so ASAP!
RSVP for this meeting at: https://bit.ly/SwineProjectMeetings. We require a minimum of five attendees. Matt Kocher will lead the meeting 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.
Please RSVP for this meeting by April 6 to Kjrsten at this email kjrstena@hotmail.com This meeting will focus on the 4-H Pets Projects, this includes hand pets and dogs and cats. There is a Pet Show at the Douglas County 4-H Fair!
You MUST be ENROLLED in the BBE project by May 1 to exhibit in the 4-H division at the Douglas County Fair! You can only enter 2 total Builds in the 4-H Category. • If you bring more, they will not be accepted in 4-H, but you can enter them in the Open Class. • You can only do consultation judging on one entry. BBE - Original Build (NOT from a kit) ONE ENTRY. Fill out the Exhibitor Form and tape/glue it on the clasp envelope. Choose N/A on the form if something does not apply to your entry. Put photos and any other information for your display inside the clasp envelope. Video is optional and only required for state fair entries. Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion are eligible for the Kansas State Fair (age 9+). BBE - Build From a Kit ONE ENTRY Only. Fill out the Exhibitor Form and tape/glue it on the clasp envelope. Put your kit-building instructions inside the clasp envelope. Include any other information about your build inside the clasp envelope. If you made modifications to the kit, include that information. Kits are not eligible for the Kansas State Fair. Education Display: You can also enter a display board, poster, or notebook for BBE in 4-H under the BBE category in the fair book. Top Purple Display is eligible for the Kansas State Fair (age 9+). References: www.kansas4-h.org/educational-experiences/fair-resources/kansas-state-fair/ www.kansas4-h.org/projects/engineering-technology/architectural-block-construction/index.html Douglas county 4-H: www.douglas.k-state.edu/news-events/4h-news/4h-events/douglas-county-fair.html dgcountyfair.com/fair-info/
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.
The K-State Extension Pesticide Safety and IPM Program is hosting it's annual insect-themed art contest, open to all ages and skill levels in Kansas. This year, the theme is "Metamorphosis Magic." The goal is to explore insects that go through complete and incomplete metamorphosis, then create artwork that fits the contest theme. We will select a winner from each of the outlined categories and one overall winner will be selected from those entries. Artists that have art selected as 1st - 3rd place winners will receive a certificate and a prize to recognize their achievement. Select artwork may be used to create educational items. • Kindergarten - 2nd grade • 3rd grade - 5th grade • 6th grade - 8th grade • 9th grade - 12th grade • Adults. Rules • Only one art entry per participant may be entered each year • A legible, completed entry form must accompany fill entries (use provided entry form) • Traditional illustrations must be on 8.5" x 11" flat paper; Digital art must be 8.5" x 11" print size • Participants may choose to email a jpg or png image of the entry if wanting to keep their original artwork; however, the image must be clear. The file should be named as the artist's name and age level (example: first name-last name, age level) • Entries must be the original work of the entrant - no traced or copyright protected images • Entries must feature an insect as the central point of focus that fits the contest theme • A legible, completed art label must be attached to original artwork (use provided art label) • Entries must be postmarked or received by April 15, 2026
Here is some information for our 4-H Rockhounds- firstly, I want to share the Kansas State 4-H Geology Leaders Newsletter. There are upcoming events, so check it out! Are you familiar with Junior Rockhounds of the Topeka Gem & Mineral Society? Contact for more information. I have had discussion with group members through the years at the KC Gem Shows and have been impressed with their knowledge and educational opportunities. https://www.topekagms.org/junior-rockhounds/ A friend of 4-H and Kansas Forest Service employee has offered two handcrafted wood display boxes to our office. Contact Nancy for details nnoyes@ksu.edu
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 3-6, 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.
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 you previously used, which applies 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.
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. This is not a jackpot show. It is a show for both the showman and the animal to gain experience. Registration will open on February 20th. All enrolled livestock families will receive an email when entries go live. If you are interested in serving on the Spring Livestock Show Committee, please email Nickie at nharding@ksu.edu by January 15.
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.
K-State will be hosting a youth spring meat judging contest again this year. It is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, in the KSU Meat Lab on the K-State campus in Manhattan. This will be a great opportunity for youth to judge an actual meat product. Any 4-H member who participated in Livestock Sweepstakes in August, or anyone interested in learning more, check out this meats judging opportunity for your youth. The registration link is live through Judging Card at: https://www.judgingcard.com/Registration/Info.aspx?ID=24341. The deadline to register is February 27. Please
All Market Beef intended to exhibit at the Douglas County Fair must be tagged by March 8, 2026. Register by March 4 at: https://bit.ly/2026BeefTagging. Remember, one sign-up per family. Please direct any questions to Nickie Harding at nharding@ksu.edu.
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
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 - County-Wide Poultry Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg.
February 15 - 16 - Citizenship In Action, Topeka (Registration Closed)
February 16 - Douglas County 4-H Council Meeting, 7:00 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg.
February 21-22 - Horse Panorama, Rock Spring Ranch (Registration Deadline January 30)
February 24 - Biology and Natural Science SPIN Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Dreher Family 4-H Bldg.
March 7 - County 4-H Club Day, Douglas County Fairgrounds (Registration Closes February 23)
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 (Registration Deadline, March 6)
March 18 - County-Wide Sewing Workshop 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Deal Six Auditorium ( New Sewers)
March 18 - County-Wide Sewing Workshop, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Deal Six Auditorium (Experienced Sewers)
March 19 - County-Wide Sewing Workshop 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Deal Six Auditorium ( New Sewers)
March 19 - County-Wide Sewing Workshop, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Deal Six Auditorium (Experienced Sewers)
April 11 - Money Smarts Youth Financial Workshop, 11:00 a.m., Flory Meeting Hall(Registration Required)
April 12 - County-Wide Cloverbud Project Meeting, 2:00 p.m. Dreher Family 4-H Bldg.
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 1 - Rocks Spring 4-H Camp Registration Deadline, 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
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