BACK TO SCHOOL WITH 4-H

Fall is full of opportunities for fun and learning with 4-H!

Click on the clover to join 4-H!

Hamilton County 4-H is open to all youth in Hamilton County in grades 4th - 12th. There is no cost to join 4-H, and you can join at any time.

Coming up in September

4-H Mane Attraction Horse Club Volunteer Leader Adam Presley spoke with the students at Hixson Elementary's back-to-school rally in August. The school's theme this year is cowboys and the West. The students really enjoyed Adam's roping demonstration!

9th-12th graders interested in plant science, native plants, and gardening - want to find out how to have your own family's yard certified as a Tennessee Smart Yard? Contact the Extension office about a potential new smart yard program

Get involved in 4-H without leaving home! This year there are three virtual classes being held for 4-H youth. These are online clubs that you can join – see the specifics for grades and details. You must register by October 1 to participate in these clubs!

Virtual Vet Science Project Group - 4th-12th grade

• Lesson series entitled, “A Day in the Life of a Veterinarian”
• Open to Tennessee 4-H members (4^th-12^th grades as of January 1, 2025)
• Meets the first Thursday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Eastern) / 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Central)
• Begins October 9, 2025, through April 2, 2026
• Register through Google Forms: https://forms.gle/kQAQRAVqpdaTQF4V9
• Deadline to register is Wednesday, October 1

 Virtual Livestock Project Group - 4th-12th grade

• Lesson topics include note-taking and oral reasons; evaluation of beef, swine, goat, sheep, horse, and dairy cattle; meat ID and carcass evaluation
• Open to all Tennessee 4-H members (4^th-12^th graders as of January 1, 2025)
• Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 7-8 p.m. (Eastern) / 6-7 p.m. (Central)
• Begins Tuesday, October 14, 2025, through May 12, 2026
• Register through Google Forms: https://forms.gle/Z661vsizUUkQJSA67
• Deadline to register is Wednesday, October 1

Virtual Creative Arts and Design - 6th-8th grade

• Lesson topics include mark-making tools/brushes, holiday crafting, hand-lettering and asemic writing, pottery, dying fabrics and paper, and handmade alcohol inks
• Open to all Tennessee 4- H Junior High members (6^th-8^th graders as of January 1, 2025)
• Meets the third Tuesday of each month from 7-8 p.m. (Eastern) / 6-7 p.m. (Central)
• Begins Thursday, October 21 through April 21, 2026
• Register through Qualtrics: https://utk.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Sg4ArLrDbikgRg?Q_CHL=qr
• Deadline to register is Wednesday, October 1 

Commissioner David Sharpe, Darah Moreland, Commissioner Dr. Steve Highlander and Frank Heery

During the August Ag Committee meeting Darah Moreland, Senior High 4-H member, shared her 4-H experiences. The Ag Committee members were impressed with her experiences and depth of knowledge related to her 4-H project – Entomology and Beekeeping. She also shared her experiences attending national meetings with 4-H including the Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference and 4-H Ignite! Conference. Darah is a state Level 1 winner in Entomology, Honor Club member and All Star member. 

Here are photos and information from two more youth participating in the 4-H Chick Chain. Plans are for the 4-H Chick Chain auction to take place on Sunday at the Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair.

Dalis Dunn has done a great job raising her birds. She has an area where they can free range. She has enjoyed raising them and shared that they are gentle and friendly birds.

Myla Holland has her coop set up in the back yard of her home. She and her sister Saddie take care of the birds. They said the birds eat a lot of food and stay around each other.

Dalis Dunn next to her chicken coop

some of Dalis' birds

Myla Holland with her sister, Sadie, at the coop they have set up

some of Myla's hens

The 2025 Fall 4-H All Star Conference will be held in Gatlinburg, TN. This conference is open to all 9th – 12th graders and will be held November 21 – 23, 2025. Registration fee and additional information should be out soon. You can also find out more about the Eastern Region All Stars at: https://eastern.tennessee.edu/eastern-region-4-h-allstar/

Working to keep all our responsibilities up in the air and how we handle this daily

Noah, Liam, and Calla preparing their balloon in the stressors activity

If you are interested in working on your 2026 4-H Portfolio it is not too early to start it. There is a new format for the 2026 records. There will still be the same components but there are some changes. Youth in 6th – 12th grades may submit a portfolio for competition. Please note that the portfolios will be due in early January 2026. Do not wait until December to start this process. If interested, contact Nancy Rucker. 

For your information and planning. Look for more details in future newsletters.

• Junior 4-H Camp (4th, 5th and 6th graders) – June 8-12, 2026
• 4-H Fashion & Design Conference – June 1-4, 2026
• 4-H Academic Conference (6th, 7th & 8th graders; application required) – June 9-12, 2026
• Culinary Camp – June 15-18, 2026 (new camp, more details to come)
• 4-H Electric Camp – June 23-26, 2026
• 4-H Quilting Camp – June 22-24, 2026
• Destination Design Conference (must be involved in a related Arts, Clothing, etc. project (previous trips to Atlanta, GA and Savannah, GA; location to be determined) – June 29-July 2, 2026
• Junior High 4-H Camp (6th, 7th & 8th graders) – July 6-10, 2026
• 4-H Roundup and All Star Conference (9th – 12th grade All Stars and/or project finalists) – July 20-24, 2026 (UT Martin)

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 7-9

McDonald Farm

16705 Coulterville Road, Sale Creek

The Fair will be held November 7^th – 9^th at the McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, Tennessee. You can find more information about the Fair at - https://hamiltontnfair.com/

You can find the competition entry information at - 

https://hamiltontnfair.com/fair-competitions/

There are entries open to both youth and adult. The list of entries and guidelines are on the competition page. The mail-in deadline is October 22nd and the online registration deadline is October 29th. Check out the entries you can enter. We will have a 4-H booth at the Fair. If you want to volunteer, contact Nancy Rucker or Maria Sabin.

There are two opportunities approaching for adult 4-H Volunteers.

Shooting Sports Training – get certified in a shooting sports discipline. Training will be held October 4th at York 4-H Center in Crossville. This is a day long training. There are also online trainings required for certification. More information is available at the state 4-H website's shooting sports page.

4-H Volunteer Conference – Spark, Ignite, and Thrive is open to adult leaders and held at Rock Eagle, Georgia. Join other volunteer leaders from across the southeast at this conference to be held October 2-5, 2025. Registration is now open. Cost is about $400 – scholarships are available while funds last.



If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please call the Extension office 423-209-8560.

UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County

6183 Adamson Circle

Chattanooga, TN 37416

(423) 209-8560

Hamilton.Tennessee.edu

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

4-H Staff:

Nancy Rucker, Extension Agent and County Director

Maria Sabin, Extension Agent

Lauren Tewalt, 4-H Program Assistant