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4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
NEWSLETTER
21 Central District
| "TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER" | | |
DISTRICT 4-H CALENDAR
February
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8th - K-State Women’s Basketball Registration DUE
- 9th - District-Wide Virtual Club Day Entries DUE
- 10th - EDCO YEC Competition
- 11th - SFCO YEC Competition
- 13th - Beef Producer Day - Registration Due
- 14th – District Wide Club Day starting 8:00 a.m. at the Macksville Grade School
- 15th to 16th - Citizenship In Action (CIA) in Topeka
- 21st - SFCO Beef Weigh In at 8:00 am in Seibert Farm (Macksville)
March
- 1st - K-State Women’s Basketball @1:00pm - Manhattan
- 7th - Beef Producer Day
- 13th – Regional Club Day in the evening at the Great Bend High School located at 2027 Morton St, Great Bend, KS
- 14th - EDCO Beef Weigh In at 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the fairgrounds
- 17th to 18th - 4-H ProjectFest 2026
- 20th - Sheep Producer Day - Registration Due
- 21st - 4-H Super Saturday at Fort Hays University
April
- 11th - Sheep Producer Day
- 11th - Shutterbug Photography Event in Manhattan
- 13th - SFCO Macksville & Stafford Area Tagging Day
- 15th - SFCO St John & Hudson Area Tagging Day
- IPM Insect Art Contest Entries DUE
- 25th - EDCO Small Animal Weigh In at 1 pm at the fairgrounds
- 28th to 29th - State YEC in Manhattan
July
- EDCO Fair 6th to 11th with the theme of Stars, Stripes, and Summer Nights
- SFCO Fair 13th to 18th with the theme of Rooted in the Past, Growing the Future. Celebrating 120 Years of Kansas 4-H! - See what's new below!
| | Please note that Jewell's email address has been updated to jewello@ksu.edu. | | |
Stafford County: Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Macksville School, following Club Days.
Edwards County: Sunday, April 26th, 2026. At the Kinsley Fairbuilding. Cookie baking will start at 3:00pm and the meeting will follow.
| | Prepping for 2026 County Fair | |
Fair Dates for Each County
The Edwards County fair will be held from July 6 to 11, 2026, with the theme 'Stars, Stripes, and Summer Nights.'
The Stafford County fair will run from July 13 to 18, 2026, under the theme 'Rooted in the Past, Growing the Future, Celebrating 120 Years of Kansas 4-H.'
On Monday, July 13, there will be a 4-H Static Entry Check-In Night, which is not an extra fair night but a designated time to drop off and check in static exhibits. This aims to ease stress on judging day by having exhibits already in place for static judging and livestock check-in.
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2026 Livestock Fair Tagging and Weigh-In Dates Announced
SFCO will hold beef tagging on Saturday, February 21, from 8:00 to 10:00 am at Seibert Feeding, located at 651 20th Ave, Macksville, KS 67557.
For Stafford County small-animal tagging sign-ups, please call the extension office to schedule a time.
Small animal tagging dates:
- Macksville & Stafford areas will take place on Monday, April 13,
- St. John & Hudson areas will take place on Wednesday, April 15.
An email regarding small-animal tagging was sent on January 16, including details.
EDCO's beef tagging is set for Saturday, March 14, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the Edwards County Fairgrounds, with small-animal tagging on Saturday, April 25, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the same location.
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Please note that you must be present on the designated weigh-in day to compete in the Rate of Gain Contest. If unable to attend on these days, alternative arrangements must be made in advance.
All market livestock must be tagged by the May 1 deadline.
Livestock Tagging Reminder!
If you are unable to attend the set tagging dates then you must contact our office BEFORE tagging takes place to make other arrangements.
If tagging requires the office to make a home visit you will be charged a $25 flat fee.
New State Livestock Tag Change!
Moving forward, families will be responsible for covering the cost of EIDs and 5-digit visual tags.
You will receive an invoice from the Extension Office after tagging!
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Please Note: If you would like to attend this event, you will be responsible for your own transportation!
For $28, each attendee will receive a ticket to the game, an awesome game day t-shirt, and a $10 meal voucher to use at the main concession stands. A ticket/voucher option with no t-shirt is available for $18.
Register at: Kansas 4-H Day with K-State Women's Basketball or by scanning the QR code on the flyer by February 8th.
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Pen Pal Program is Back
States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs has announced that their Pen Pal Program will be back April 1 to June 1. 4-H’ers and others 9-18 as of April 1 are eligible to participate.
More information on parter countries for the program will be announced as available, but the communications will be in English and pen pals are likely in countries with which States’ 4-H conducts exchange programs.
Youth who are pen pals are to commit to writing a weekly message by email or letter during April and May. There will be a $10 registration fee to participate which will be payable online. We expect registrations will open in the next few weeks to meet their March 20 deadline.
Interested persons can find more information when it becomes available on the States’ 4-H website States' 4-H International Exchange Programs.
This program has filled very quickly in previous years!
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4-H Super Saturday
Saturday, March 21, 2026 at the Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS
Be on the lookout for more information to come soon!
| Insect Art Contest Rules & Entry Form | | |
Road trip across the USA, stopping to see Philadelphia, Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell, and more! Meet, learn, share, and tour with youth from other states and respected resource people. Walk among places that have made history and places that are making news today. Visit Capitol Hill, government departments, historic sites, and memorials. Get a close-up view of the political process through visits to Capitol Hill. Meet with the Kansas Congressional and Senate delegations to discuss legislative issues. Participate in workshops and assembly groups to learn life skills and discuss possible solutions to domestic and international problems. Interact with 4-H members from other states, learning and sharing about 4-H and other interests and issues. This trip has filled up quickly in the last few years. Make sure that you do not delay in signing up to attend!
A one-page front-and-back Information Sheet can be found Here.
See the Kansas 4-H Webpage for all the information.
Cost: $2500. Not required when registering, but arrangements will be made after February 16th for payment.
To Register - Registration will be collected by February 5th, and spaces will be limited! Youth must be 15 by June 1, 2026. (Only 10 spots available!!)
| | 4-H Membership ACHIEVEMENT PINS: We have updated our website with the new applications. | | | | |
