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Routt County 4-H
Bi-Monthly Newsletter
December 15, 2025
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Fun events are right around the corner! Below you will find information on:
- 4-H Ski Day (Registration closes FRIDAY)
- Leadership Development Conference registration
- Fair Logo Design contest
- and so much more!
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Upcoming Events
Click here to access the Routt County 4-H Google Calendar!
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Office Closures
Christmas Holiday | December 24-26
New Years Holiday | December 31-January 2
Our Office will be open from 8am-12pm on December 24th and December 31st.
Hours are subject to change, please call before stopping by!
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4-H Ski Day | January 4
Join us as we take on the slopes at Steamboat Resort. Lift tickets are FREE for 4-H members, and half price for parents. Rentals will be available for half off. This is an unsupervised event, please plan accordingly.
Any additional questions? Please email us.
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Routt County Council Meetings | January 7, March 4, May 6, July 1 | 6pm
Every club should have 2 representative present at the meetings. All 4-H families are invited to attend.
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Cowboy Downhill Petting Zoo | January 19 | 11am-1pm
Help bring Routt County 4-H to the base of Mount Werner for the Cowboy Downhill. We are looking for members who want to provide their animal(s) and/or a roping demonstration set-up (ropes, dummy, etc) in exchange for a day pass to Steamboat Resort for the 2025-2026 ski season. Members must be present from 11am-1pm.
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Junior Leader Meetings | January 21, February 25, April 1, May 27 | 6pm
Are you 14-18 years old and want to step up your leadership role in Routt County 4-H? Jr. Leaders are ambassadors to Routt County 4-H, help put on 4-H events, and are Jr. Superintendents at the fair.
Join us for our first Jr. Leader meeting Wednesday, January 21 at 6pm in the Trout Creek Room.
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Leadership Development Conference | January 24-26
Senior aged 4-H members are encouraged to join us for LDC in January. Cost to attend is $225 plus hotel costs (TBD soon). Registration closes January 7th (or when full).
Please note, any cancelations made AFTER the deadline will not be reimbursed and members must pay the full $225 PLUS hotel costs if they cannot attend.
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Beef Weigh-In | February 1 | 12:30-2:30pm
Beef members are required to attend at the Routt County Fairgrounds. Cost is $5 per animal. Youth must be enrolled in Routt County 4-H with all fees paid (including any past due fees) before weighing in. All market beef need to be halter broke prior to weigh-in.
Questions? Take a look at the handbook section that discusses spring weigh-ins.
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Routt County Fair theme: Celebrating the Bounty of Routt County!
The Routt County Fair Advisory Board is looking for help from Routt County 4-H members to help design a logo for this year's fair. Please submit your logo ideas to Millie by Monday, February 9th.
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Ongoing Reminders:
Enrollment is Open: Returning members should enroll and pay before December 31st to avoid a $30 late fee.
How do I Enroll?
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Enroll (between October 1 and May 1) on Colorado 4-H Online
- Pick a 4-H Club
- Pick your project(s)
- Pay your enrollment fees
- Get Involved
Here is a LINK with more detailed instructions on how to enroll, clubs, projects and much more. Call our office with any questions - we are here to help you!
Record Books are uploaded on the Colorado 4-H Website.
- More information on Record Books (including club books) can be found on our website!
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Goodtimes 4-H Club
Saturday, December 6th the Goodtimes 4-H Club gathered to decorate a Christmas Tree and centerpiece to be auctioned off as a fundraiser at the annual Hayden Christmas Tree Auction. As a club, we also did a community service project by helping the Tree Auction Committee set up tables and chairs for this event. Eight members and four adults were present for this event.
Joseph Elkinton - Goodtimes 4-H Club Reporter
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Ranch House 4-H Club Fundraiser
Join Ranch House 4-H Club for their fundraising dinner and silent auction.
January 12, 2026 | 5-6:30pm | Haven in Hayden
Tickets available at the door. $10.00/plate.
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We are excited to have you a part of Routt County 4-H!
Learn more about Routt County 4-H on our WEBSITE.
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See a list of our 4-H clubs and when they meet.
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Learn about all the projects 4-H has to offer.
The Colorado 4-H WEBSITE also provides project details and record book links. Click on your area of interest, and then the project to learn more!
Join our monthly Clover Chatter!
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Meet us on Zoom the first Monday of each month at 6pm to ask questions and connect with other 4-H families!
- Upcoming Dates:
- January 5
- February 2
- March 2
- April 6
- May 4
- June 1
- July 6
- August 3
Join us on March 16 at 6pm for our Mandatory New Member Orientation Dinner at the STARS Ranch. We will discuss important topics while enjoying a meal and getting to know other Routt County 4-H families!
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Shooting Sports Dates - Dates are subject to change
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May 1 - Add/Drop/Change Deadline
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July 3 - Completion Weekend Registration Due
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July 8 - FairEntry Registration Due
- July TBD - Completion Weekend
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July 24 - Exhibit Day
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July 31 - Exhibit Day Projects to State Fair Due
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Colorado 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Trainings:
- March 13-15, 2026: Weld County (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Archery, and Orion) *Orion training - Please watch for information in the coming months.
- March 20-22, 2026: Pueblo County (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Archery, Muzzleloading, Western Heritage, Hunting and Outdoor Skills)
- March 27-29, 2026: Garfield County (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Archery, Muzzleloading, Western Heritage)
Reminder: All volunteers must be enrolled and approved before they can register for the training.
NEW THIS YEAR! Colorado 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Recertification Training:
- April 25, 2026: Morgan County (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Archery, Muzzleloading, Western Heritage, Hunting and Outdoor Skills)
Volunteers who are in need of recertifying to keep their certificate up to date will be eligible to attend the recertification training in Morgan County on April 25, 2026. This will be a modified version of the training and will be a combination of online modules and an in-person class. More information will be available soon.
Volunteers needing to recertify who chose to go to any of the other three trainings will be required to attend all 15 hours of the training.
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Workshops:
General Project Dates - Dates are subject to change
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May 1 - Add/Drop/Change Deadline
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July 8 - FairEntry Registration Due
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July 24 - Exhibit Day
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July 31 - Exhibit Day Projects to State Fair Due
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Animal Superintendents - need help with your projects? Please email Millie to get you in contact with a Superintendent!
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Cattle - Jeannie Logan and Dr. Lee Meyring
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Swine - Leanna Dennis, Tim Gonzales, Trinity Gonzales, and Lane Iacovetto
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Sheep - Kristen Lucero and Shari Yeager
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Goat - Justin Heid, Kristen Lucero, and Rebecca Owens
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Horse - Tammie Delaney, Haley Jacobs, Lacy Trout, and Ben Vannoy
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Dog - Lisa Guire and Cathy Shryock
Project Dates - Check out the following link for important project dates!
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Lufkin Family Generational Breeding Project
Honoring the legacy of longtime Routt County rancher, Donald C. Lufkin, and his legacy of sustaining beef production in Routt County. Routt County 4-H Youth have the opportunity to start or expand their cattle breeding operation with financial support from the Lufkin Family Foundation.
- Up to $1,500 Grants available
- Three year program
- Awards and more!
Business plans are due by February 1, 2026.
More information on the project and how to apply can be found here!
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Animal Project Dates - dates are subject to change
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2025-2026 Record Books are posted on the Colorado 4-H website. Need help finding your record book, or would you like it printed out? Shoot us an email.
Pages that can be completed NOW -
Pages to be working on through project -
Pages that are completed at the END of your project -
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Animal Project Courtesy Posts - These are posts we are sharing for your information. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Routt County Extension.
NWSS Catch-A-Calf Applications Open - Are you 14-19 (as of Jan. 1, 2026) and part of 4-H or FFA? Don't miss your chance to take part in the National Western Stock Show Cat-A-Calf Program! Participants catch a calf, raise it for a year, and bring it back as a market-ready steer to show and compete! Applications are due TODAY (December 15, 2025)!
| Colorado State 4-H Livestock Opportunities - These are opportunities that 4-H members could engage in. Coming up in the next few months are events like the National Poultry and Egg Conference, which showcases four competitive events or the National Dairy Quiz Bowl. We have added these events to the Animal Science Padlet. If you have a team that would like to compete in any of these events, let us know, and we can work through the registration process. Access Animal Science Padlet here. | |
FFA/4-H Livestock Loan Program - Bank of Colorado
Bank of Colorado is offering interest and fee free loans for youth involved in livestock projects. Applications can be picked up from any Bank of Colorado location.
More information about these loans can be found here.
Questions? Contact Lexi Weber.
970-826-2067 | lexi.webber@bankofcolorado.com
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Bunnies Available:
Looking for your next 4-H Breeding Rabbit? Ella Knott has a litter of mixed-breed rabbits perfect for pets/companion animals, and a litter of Angoras for members interested in breeding their own fiber line.
For more information, please reach out to Megan.
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2026 Bar-V-Bar Livestock Spring Load & Go Sale:
Our operation is located 7 miles west of Craig, CO. Our breeding stock includes elite genetics from Blue Team Wethers, 5 Star Boer Goats, Pfieffer, Halfmann, Hummel, Mock, and more. We expect to have at least 50 December-February born show-quality kids available in this offering. We are limiting this first showing to 20 families, and spaces are already filling up! We will offer pens priced at $350, $500, and $750. Higher-end private treaty animals will also be available. Link to sale sign-up here.
More information: Jessica Counts | 970-629-1621 | jess@barvbarlivestock.com
| | | Judging Pre-workouts - CSU and UW will be holding a pre-workouts before the Western National Roundup Livestock and Meats Judging Contests. Any youth is welcome to come view the classes ate do not need to be judging at Roundup. | | | |
What is a Cloverbud? Cloverbuds are members from 5-7 years old who are not quite ready to participate in many of the projects and activities that the rest of the older 4-H members participate in.
What can Cloverbuds do? The Cloverbud program is focused on participation, teamwork, and learning (not so much on competition). Several of our clubs host Cloverbud events during their regular monthly meetings, and our Routt County 4-H Junior Leaders host 5 Cloverbud workshops throughout the spring and summer to get our youngest members excited about 4-H.
Enrollment - $25/Cloverbud Member
Here is a LINK to how to enroll, and much more. Cloverbud members are not required to attend monthly meetings, but any member wanting to join the Cloverbud workshops must be enrolled as a Cloverbud member. Call our office with any questions - we are here to help you!
| | | 2025-2026 Colorado 4-H Leadership Events - More details on the events can be found here. | | |
Leadership Development Conference (Senior Members) - January 24-26, Denver
- Senior aged 4-H members are encouraged to join us for LDC in January. Cost to attend is $225 plus hotel costs (TBD soon). Registration closes January 7th (or when full).
- Please note, any cancelations made AFTER the deadline will not be reimbursed and members must pay the full $225 PLUS hotel costs if they cannot attend.
| | | | Youth Fest (Intermediate Members) - March 27-29 | District 9 Retreat (10-18 y/o Members) - April 10-12, Craig | Colorado 4-H State Conference (Senior Members) - June 16-19, Fort Collins | |
Mike Bell 4-H Leadership Fund
Created in 2025 with memorial contributions totaling $665, the Mike Bell 4-H Leadership Fund honors Mr. Bell by helping Hayden Youth attend leadership events.
The Bell Family has designated these funds to support Hayden 4-H members in attending leadership events at the county, district, state, or national levels.
Scholarship Details:
- Hayden 4-H youth are eligible for a one-time $50 scholarship to help cover registration for a 4-H leadership event.
- 13 scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until all funds are distributed.
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To apply, email a request for the $50 Mike Bell 4-H Leadership Scholarship, specifying which event you plan to attend.
- Requests will only be accepted once the event registration is open (no early requests).
- If you cancel after the registration deadline, you will be responsible for repaying the $50 of unused funds back to the leadership fund.
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Courtesy Posts
These are posts we are sharing for your information. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Routt County Extension.
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See you at the Stock Show
Interested in attending 4-H Day at the National Western Stock Show? Special discounted tickets are available for 4-H members to attend the 4-H Day Pro-Rodeo on Friday, January 16th at 1:30pm.
Order Tickets: Use promo code FOURH at tiny.cc/FOURH or call 303-295-3959.
Tickets are limited and pricing is subject to change.
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Colorado Building Famers and Ranchers
You are invited to preregister for the 2026 online ag business development course hosted by CSU Extension. Join course facilitators, instructors, and other beginning farmers and ranchers (less than 10 years of ag experience) in Tuesday evenings, 6-8:00pm (January 20-March 11, 2026) for 8 weeks this winter for a program designed to help you develop a business plan for your ag operation! Course fee of $250 includes access to all class materials; a discount is offered to additional participants from the same farm business. Scholarships may be available. Learn more & preregister here https://buildingfarmers.com/
Está invitado/a preinscribirse para el curso de 2026 de desarrollo de negocios agrícolas en línea coordinado por Extensión de la Universidad Estatal de Colorado. Reunir con facilitadores, instructores, y otros/as agricultores/as y ganaderos/as (con menos de 10 años de experiencia agrícola) por las noches cada martes, 6-8:00pm (del 20 de enero - 11 de marzo) por 8 semanas este invierno por una serie de tópicos diseñados para ayudarle pensar críticamente sobre su plan de negocio! El costo para el curso de $250 incluye acceso a todos los materiales del curso; un descuento está ofrecido por participantes adicionales del mismo negocio agrícola. Puede haber becas disponibles. Aprender más y preinscribirse aquí https://buildingfarmers.com/
¿Preguntas? Se puede llamar a Nicole: (970) 495-2217
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Yampa Valley Community-Wide Mental Health Survey
Your voice matters.
Take a 10-minute survey to help shape the future of mental health services in the Yampa Valley.
The survey is open to anyone aged 18 or over, and is available in English and Spanish.
The Yampa Valley Community Foundation has partnered with several community partners to gain a deep understanding of mental behavioral health issues in our community. The Quality of Life and Behavioral Health Community Survey is live now. The more responses that are gathered, the more informed we will be about potential next steps to enhance mental behavioral health efforts in our community. Have your voice heard!
Tu opinión importa.
Participa en una encuesta de 10 minutos para ayudarnos a definir el futuro de los servicios de salud mental en el Valle de Yampa.
La encuesta está abierta a personas mayores de 18 años y está disponible en inglés y español.
La Fundación Comunitaria del Valle de Yampa se ha asociado con diversas organizaciones comunitarias para comprender mejor los problemas de salud mental y conductual en nuestra comunidad. La Encuesta Comunitaria sobre Calidad de Vida y Salud Conductual ya está disponible. Cuantas más respuestas recibamos, mejor informados estaremos sobre los posibles pasos a seguir para mejorar los esfuerzos en materia de salud mental y conductual en nuestra comunidad. ¡Haz oír tu voz!
LINK TO SURVEY:
http://www.prcsurvey.com/begin/YampaValley2026
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Ranch West Horse Boarding
Located 12 miles outside of Steamboat Springs on CR 33, our family-owned and operated facility offers both long-term and short term horse boarding, including Horse Motel accommodations for travelers.
We are proud to provide a full range of amenities, including:
- Heated Indoor Arena - daily passes and membership options available
- Outdoor Arena
- On-staff Veterinary Technician
We are also seeking weekend morning help (2-3 hours per day). If you love horses, enjoy a friendly work environment, we'd love to hear from you!
Interested? Call 970-761-0679 or email ranchwest55@gmail.com.
Savannah Shaffer - Barn Manager
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Colorado State University Extension is an equal opportunity provider. Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension ensures meaningful access and equal opportunities to participate to individuals whose first language is not English.
Colorado State University Extension es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. Colorado State University no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad y se compromete a proporcionar adaptaciones razonables. Office of Engagement and Extension de CSU garantiza acceso significativo e igualdad de oportunidades para participar a las personas quienes su primer idioma no es el inglés.
Col.st/ll0t3
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