Clover Clips

A newsletter for 4-H families

Happy October! My Name is Taylor Meyer, and I am excited to begin my journey as the 4-H Youth Development Agent for Johnson County. It is a joy to help support and grow this incredible youth organization to serve the families and community of Johnson County. I discovered 4-H later in life, and through my experiences, I have developed a deep appreciation for the many ways 4-H enriches the lives of young people, families, and community members of all ages. 

While serving as a 4-H program assistant in another county, I had the opportunity to watch consultative judging at the county fair. I remember the judge lifting the 4-H'ers' crocheted bag high into the air to examine the complex work completed around the bottom of the project. Together, the judge and 4-Her discussed the intricacies of the bag and the process of completing it. You could see the care and dedication of the judge, as well as the pride and hard work of the 4-H member who had poured their heart and soul into their project. They were strangers before but gained valuable knowledge from each other. Moments like these are what make 4-H so special, and I hope to continue fostering these meaningful experiences here in Johnson County. I am excited to get to know the members, from volunteers to participants, who make this program impactful!

I am originally from Garden Plain, Kansas, on a small plot of land surrounded by farmers. I've grown up assisting the farmers around me and have a deep respect for the integrity of the Agriculture industry. This led me to pursuing my bachelor's in Animal Science from Fort Hays State University. Post grad, I oversaw operations for JCPRD's Aquatics Facilities. I trained lifeguards, managed scheduling, oversaw swim lessons, and helped volunteers operate large scale competitive swim events. While my background may seem a little out of left field, I am excited to combine my agriculture education with the operation oversight skills I acquired in aquatics! Outside of the office I enjoy participating in rec sports (volleyball is the best!), cooking new recipes, listening to live music, and playing the guitar! 

I can't wait to meet everyone! ~ Taylor

National 4-H Week - October 4th-10th

Celebrate National 4-H Week with Johnson County 4-H! National 4-H Week is October 4th-10th and during this time all members and clubs are encouraged to promote 4-H, in one way or another. Show your 4-H pride by "wearing the clover" during the week too!

Our National 4-H Week Committee has TWO CHALLENGES for YOU!

• Show & Tell Challenge: Between October 4th and 10th, share 4-H and talk about a project in front of your classroom or other outside group! Be bold and ask your teacher if you can bring a project to talk about in class. Many 4-H'ers have shared about their projects at school!

• Social Media Challenge: Between October 4th and 10th, make a post on your (or your parent's) social media page, sharing about your 4-H experience - your cool projects, why you like 4-H and what 4-H has helped you learn. Don't forget to tag us in that post - @JohnsonCountyKansas4-H

48 Hours of 4-H

Join us this fall in seeing just how much we can give back to our communities! The days following National 4-H week, October 10th & 11th, are the perfect opportunity to setup a service project. Invite your friends, clubs, adult volunteers and 4-H Alums too! Find all the information about 48 Hours of 4-H and start planning your projects. Please register your projects and then follow up with a report so we know about all the great things that happened across the state. 48 Hours of 4-H is the perfect way to #InspireKidstoDo. 

Need a little bit more information to help you plan? View the guide to give you some more ideas.

County Awards Judging Help

County Awards judging will be on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:00 PM at the Extension Office. Club leaders and adult volunteers come together to judge officer pin applications/officer books, project report forms and Key awards. We will need all the volunteers possible for awards judging! We would love to see you there, even if you have never judged county awards before. We will give you the necessary information and paperwork so you can judge the award applications.

2026-2027 4-H Calendar

Happy New 4-H Year! Start marking your calendars NOW for upcoming events.

The Johnson County 4-H Council is hosting a final collection drive to round off the current 4-H year and start the new one strong. Members are encouraged to donate bandages with fun designs or characters. All bandages collected will be sent to Noah's Bandage Project where they will be distributed to children with cancer all across the country. Something small like this can make a big difference.

The final collection will occur at the County Council Meeting on November 2nd. Each club should arrange a time to collect their donations for delivery at this meeting. 

If you have general questions about the drive, you can contact Council Officer, George Delancy or view this flyer. If you have questions about how your specific club is handling donations, you should ask your Club Leader or County Council Representatives.

Project Fair & Ambassador Ice Cream Social

Join us for an interactive project fair & ice cream on Tuesday, October 27th from 6:00 - 8:30 PM at the Extension Office! Come learn about all project areas and get ideas for what projects you would like to try in the new 4-H year. Bring a friend or two who may be interested in learning more about 4-H!

If you would like to present your favorite project at the fair, please sign up to host a project table. The Project Fair Committee will be in touch with you.

County Achievement Celebration

Saturday, November 7th

2:00 - 4:00 PM

(Please plan to arrive by 1:45 PM for check-in)

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (13145 S Blackbob Rd. Olathe, KS) 

Join us as we celebrate those who have worked hard throughout the year to earn their achievement pins, project awards and special scholarships and awards. At this time, we will also recognize 4-H leaders and volunteers who give so much to the program.

Please RSVP by November 1. You are welcome to attend the celebration even if you won't be receiving an award. Come to meet other 4-H'ers in the county and join in on the fun.

The Achievement Celebration Committee invites you to give back by bringing a canned or boxed food item to donate to a local food pantry. Let's stock their shelves in preparation for the holiday season!

Hop right into the rabbit project! Join us for the first county-wide project meeting on Monday, October 5th from 6:30 - 7:30 PM in the Open Class Building on the Johnson County Fairgrounds. These project meetings will occur monthly on the first Monday. We will learn about keeping, judging, breeding, and showing rabbits. Rabbit owners, rabbit lovers, and rabbit curious are all welcome! Email Kate Downey with questions or call (913-205-4098).

Have you ever been fascinated by the way a butterfly gracefully moves through the air, or the way a beetle crawls across the ground, or wondered how everything around us is connected? If so, the 4-H Entomology Project is perfect for you! In this project area, youth have the opportunity to catch, identify, preserve, and learn more about the amazing, creepy-crawly friends all around us. Don't feel like touching gross insects? No worries! There is a special category where members can capture and curate photographic collections.

If you want to learn more or are already in the project and want to be more involved, you are invited to attend the monthly Johnson County Entomology Project Meetings, held every 3rd Monday of the month, at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. All are welcome to come and learn more, regardless of age or skill level. These meetings teach scientific taxonomy, how to find and preserve insects, ecological conservation, and much more through interactive activities and fun presentations. Questions? Please contact George Delancy.

ATTENTION sewing enthusiasts and new learners! The County Sewing Class is going to start October 1st at the Extension Office from 6:30-8:30 PM. Class is open to all 4-H'ers who want to learn to sew, want to increase their skills or just want to have a fun place to sew once a week. October 1st is the introduction class - no sewing will happen. We will go over what we will be doing for projects and equipment needed. We will start sewing on October 15th (note: no class will be held on October 8th) with our first project. Sewing classes will be held from October 15th to November 19th. We will reconvene classes in 2027 on January 7th. Class will then be held every Thursday until July 15th. For questions email Martha Powell or call at 913-302-5812.

BB Gun and Air Rifle Projects

Plan to Join Us in October for the Popular BB Gun and Air Rifle Projects!

An Intro to Learning Safe, Responsible, and Fun Shooting Sports.

The popular 4-H Shooting Sports BB Gun and Air Rifle projects return for another season starting in October. Youth (and parents!) can learn to safely and responsibly use firearms, promote sportsmanship and ethical behavior, get acquainted with the fundamentals of competitive shooting, and foster shooting as a fun, family recreation.

Here’s how to join us.

If you have already participated as part of the competitive squad in years past, do the following:

• Go to 4-H Online and re-enroll in 4-H as soon as the new enrollment year opens in October. This is important! If you show up for practice and are not officially enrolled in 4-H, you will not be permitted to shoot. Remember to select the BB Gun and/or Air Rifle project, as appropriate.
• Send an email to the club and let us know you plan to return this year and which discipline(s) you plan to participate in.
• Watch the Shooting Sports website calendar for updates on scheduled practice dates and times. The first practice for returning shooters is scheduled for November 3, 2026. Returning participants please note: If you would like to volunteer to help teach new participants during the introductory sessions explained in the next session, please plan to attend. However, live firing at those introductory sessions will be reserved for new shooters only.

If you have not participated as part of the competitive squad in years past, do the following:

• Be aware of the following requirements for the Shooting Sports program:

1. BB Gun is open to youth between ages 9 and 15 as of Jan. 1, 2027.
2. Air Rifle is open to youth ages 12 to 18 as of Jan. 1, 2027, who have successfully completed at least one season of the BB gun program (unless over age 15).
3. Successful completion of at least one season of the Air Rifle program is a required prerequisite for participation in the advanced shooting disciplines of smallbore rifle (.22 caliber) and muzzloading rifle, which will begin in Summer 2027.

• Plan to attend the initial introduction to 4-H BB-Gun safety classes scheduled for October 13, October 14, October 20, October 21, and October 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. For new participants, participation in these classes is required if you are interested in joining the competitive match season shooting with the Johnson County 4-H BB Gun and Air Rifle squads. Participation in 4-H Shooting Sports with the competitive squad is by invitation only. Invitations will be extended by the 4-H instructors based on student performance in the introductory classes and available resources.
• As soon as possible, send an email to the club to introduce yourself and let us know you plan to participate.
• Enroll in 4-H on 4-H Online as soon as the new enrollment opens on October 1. Be sure to enroll in the BB Gun and Air Rifle projects as appropriate to your participation plans. This is important! If you show up for practice and are not officially enrolled in 4-H, you will not be permitted to shoot. Enroll as soon after October 1 as possible, as your enrollment must be accepted by Johnson County K-State Research and Extension before your enrollment is official, and it may take several days for your enrollment to be processed. You will only be permitted to shoot if you can demonstrate your enrollment is official—no exceptions will be permitted.
• Watch the Shooting Sports website calendar for updates on scheduled practice dates, times and locations for the introductory safety class and regular practices.

About the project

The 4-H Shooting Sports BB Gun and Air Rifle projects are administered under the K-State Extension 4-H Youth Development program and operated by a team of adult volunteers who are experienced in shooting and youth instruction, who have been recommended and background-screened by the county Extension office, and who have received mandatory intensive training and state-level certification in the rifle shooting discipline and in youth development training techniques.

The competitive squad portion of the project consists of a combination of live-fire shooting instruction and classroom lecture covering general gun knowledge, proper gun handling, and procedures for participating in air gun competitions. The BB-Gun program is open to beginners and requires no previous shooting experience or training. The competitive season lasts from October until the state 4-H championship in early April, and it includes weekly practice meetings and participation in about six competitions throughout eastern Kansas during the winter. You do not have to own your own equipment to participate. The 4-H Rifle Club has sufficient safe and proper equipment to outfit most youth who are interested in participating.

Questions? E-mail the club.

Celebrating our third year of powering up young minds! This annual STEM workshop returns for the 2026-2027 4-H year, giving youth another opportunity to explore the exciting world of electricity through hands-on activities and experiments. Ever wonder what makes the lights turn on or how circuits really work? Join us as we build circuits, investigate electrical concepts, and discover how electricity powers our everyday lives.

Where: Johnson County Extension Office, Room 1070

When: Monday, November 30th at 6:00 PM

Who: Open to 4-H youth (with a parent/guardian in attendance)

Cost: Free

Register: tinyurl.com/368xjewb

What You'll Learn:

• The fascinating history of electricity
• What actually causes electricity
• How to build and test different types of circuits
• The difference between insulators and conductors
• Essential home electrical safety tips
• 
  

Class size is limited to 10 youth, so sign up early to reserve your spot! If the class is full but you'd like to join a future session, email Paul Voelker.

Join the Tailwaggers 4-H Dog Project Training Season! These trainings give 4-H dog project members the opportunity to learn, practice and grow alongside your four-legged friends. Training season starts in January - all registrations must be received by January 1, 2027. Throughout the training season, you will work on Obedience/Showmanship. Agility and RallyO. Find more details and guidelines on the registration form.

October 7 - Record Books, Project Report Forms, Officer Pin Applications and Award Applications Due

October 15 - KYLF Registrations Due

Bring your family! Bring your friends! The next SE Kansas Entomology project meeting will be held on Saturday, October 3rd at the Allen County Extension Office in Iola, Kansas. This will be Family Day - we will have lots of fun and games for all to join in. Rumor has it that the kids will be challenging the parents to some brain games. Come join the fun! Please RSVP to Vicky with the number of people in your family that will be attending by September 21st so she can plan refreshments. Questions? Call Vicky at (620)804-9170.

Mark your calendars for the 2027 Kansas 4-H Horse Panorama, scheduled for February 21-22, 2027. The annual event will have a new home in 2027 as participants gather on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan for a weekend focused on equine knowledge, leadership development, and friendly competition.

Horse Panorama provides youth with opportunities to strengthen their understanding of the horse industry while developing valuable communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills. Participants can look forward to a variety of educational contests and activities that challenge their horse knowledge and showcase the skills they have developed through their 4-H horse projects. The event also offers an opportunity for youth from across Kansas to connect with fellow horse project members, learn from industry professionals, and experience the K-State campus.

Additional information regarding contest details, schedules, registration, lodging, and event activities will be released in the coming months.

Kansas State Research and Extension Master Food Volunteers are offering another year of 4-H Afterschool Cooking Classes at First Baptist Church of Gardner (324 E. Shawnee St.). These will be held on the 2nd Thursday of October, December and March (2027) from 3:30 - 5:00 PM. Students will participate in hands on cooking activities and will be engaged in other fun educational activities centered around the theme. Each month has it's own theme! Click on the theme to register!

October 8th - "Sourdough"

December 10th - "Holiday Goodies"

March 11th, 2027 - "Breakfast"

Johnson County 4-H youth and clubs have a great opportunity to make meaningful connections with their community by volunteering with Prairie Elder Care. PEC is looking for volunteers to spend time with adults living with dementia through a variety of ways - including music, games, crafts, gardening, conversation, outdoor activities, and more. No prior dementia-care experience is required, and opportunities can be one-time, occasional, or ongoing. Interested in volunteering? Fill out this form!

K-State Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.