Clover Clips

A newsletter for 4-H families

Announcements

Reporter's Corner

Club reporters submit their 4-H related articles, and you get to read about the latest Johnson County 4-H Club happenings! Click the button below for some fun news and updates!

Read December's Edition

We Want YOUR Input!

Help us shape the 2026 Johnson County Fair by sharing your ideas for this year’s fair theme! Vote and share your ideas by December 15th! Keep an eye out in early 2026 for the Fair Book Cover Art Contest, your chance to help bring the winning theme to life with original artwork!

2026 Enrollment

4-H Online opened October 1 for new 4-H members to enroll and current 4-H members to re-enroll for the 2025-2026 4-H year. We asked that all returning 4-H members be enrolled by November 1, 2025. If you have not enrolled, please do ASAP. If you are not re-enrolled, your family will miss out on important correspondences from the county Extension office and State 4-H office as only the contact information from 2026 enrollments in 4-H Online will now be used. Enrollment guides for families and volunteers are posted on our website.

County Events & Updates

County Council Representatives

Each club needs to have two youth and two adult mentors serve as their club’s representatives at 4-H County Council. The meetings occur on the first Monday of odd month. The next meeting will be January 5th at 7:00 PM at the Extension Office (Room 1070/1075).

Actively participating in two Council Committees is one of the requirements for Council Reps to receive their pin. Descriptions of each of the Council committees are posted on the 4-H Council Page on the Johnson County 4-H website. Please choose at least one Event Planning committee and at least one Review Committee to participate in this year. A link for the committee sign-ups is posted on the 4-H Council Page. If you have questions, please contact the Johnson County 4-H office.

County Committees

Would you like to help plan county events like Achievement Celebration, Food Fare or Club Days? Would you like to help review scholarships or voice your opinion on county award procedures? There are several county committees to get YOU involved at the county level. Come be a part of one and meet other 4-H'ers in the county. Get your voice heard and make decisions! Anyone can participate in county committees - you do not have to be a council representative to participate. Look over this list of committees and their responsibilities and find one that you want to be a member of and sign up today!

Project News

Fiber Arts Project Meetings

Are you a crafter at heart? Do you have works in progress that need a little help? Come join our Fiber Arts Project meetings with Jr. Leader Emily Kozlowski. Crochet, knitting, needlework, sewing and all levels of expertise are welcome!

Emily has over nine years of experience in crochet, knitting, and sewing, and is a crochet commission artist. For the past few years, she has served as a crochet instructor for the Country Hearts 4-H Club. Passing on the skills she's learned from other 4-H'ers is part of what makes 4-H so special to her.

The next meeting will take place on Sunday, December 14th, 9:00 - 11:00 AM at Black Dog Coffeehouse in Lenexa, KS. Please contact Emily for more information.

County Knitting Project Meetings

Are you wanting to learn to knit? Do you have some knitting experience and want to craft alongside other knitters? Monthly county knitting project meetings will be held on Friday evenings this year. Each meeting will be from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at the Open Class building on the Johnson County Fairgrounds.

Upcoming dates:

December 19th
January 16th
February 20th

Please RSVP to Sarah Kallansrud if you would like to attend so she can plan accordingly! Feel free to email her as well for a list of supplies that you can bring to the meeting.

Mood Board Collage Workshop

You are invited to a FREE mood board collage workshop hosted by the Marais des Cygnes District. The workshop will be on Monday, December 22nd. There will be two workshop times and locations.

9:30 - 11:00 AM at the Paola Extension Office
1:30 - 3:00 PM at the Mound City Extension Office

The workshop is for ALL ages and is perfect to those enrolled in the Interior Design & Architecture project. More details and registration link can be found on the flyer. Registration is due by December 15th.

4-H Calendar Events

Check out all the available 4-H Projects and Events coming up in the next few weeks.

Monday, December 15th 6:00 PM

Johnson County Entomology Project Meeting

You are invited to join us on the third Monday of each month at the Johnson County Entomology Project Meetings. At these meetings we dive into the art of collecting and learning about insects! Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting out, this hands-on meeting is perfect for anyone looking to improve their skills and take their insect collection to new heights. All skill levels welcome!

At the December meeting we will learn about the anatomy of insects. If you are looking for a new project where you can learn more about the world and nature, entomology is an excellent choice and this meeting will give you the right place to start learning about the insects and how they live!

Registration: None required

Contact: Patrick Delancy

Location: Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (Room #115) 13145 Blackbob Road, Olathe, KS 66062

Monday, December 1st 6:30 PM

County Council Officer Meeting

Council officers meet on the even-numbered months.

Contact: Cyla or Lexi

Location: Johnson County Extension Office

Tuesday, December 9th 7:00 PM

Johnson County Geology Project Meeting

Join us for a county-wide geology meeting!

Contact: Natasha Graham

Location: Johnson County Extension Office, Room 1015

Sunday, December 14th 9:00-11:00 AM

Johnson County Fiber Arts Project Meeting

Join a group of crafters to work on any fiber arts project - crochet, embroidery, sewing, etc!

Contact: Emily Kozlowski

Location: Black Dog Coffeehouse (Lenexa, KS)

Friday, December 19th 7:00 PM

Johnson County Knitting Project Meeting

Learn to knit or meet with others who love to knit.

Registration: RSVP required via email to Sarah Kallansrud

Contact: Sarah Kallansrud

Location: Johnson County Fairgrounds, Open Class Building

View 4-H Calendar

Upcoming Deadlines

December 15th - Mood Board Collage Workshop Registration DUE

December 15th - Vote for YOUR favorite fair theme!

January 5 - Kansas 4-H State Scholarships DUE

State/National Events & Updates

Poultry Judging Basics Webinar

Are you interested in learning more about poultry or thinking about participating in poultry judging this year? You are invited to a 4-H Poultry Judging Basics Webinar, designed especially for youth who want to build their skills and confidence! The webinar will take place via ZOOM on Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:00 PM. During this interactive session, you’ll learn:

The fundamentals of poultry judging
How to assess live birds and carcasses
What judges look for in different classes
How to prepare for contests with confidence

Whether you're brand-new to poultry judging or want a quick refresher, this webinar is a great way to get started and ask questions in a relaxed, supportive environment. Make sure to register for the event. The zoom link will be provided after registration.

Allen County Entomology Meeting

Now is the time to get started on those insect collections, notebooks and educational displays for the new 4-H year. Our next project meeting will be Saturday, December 13th at 1:00 PM in the Meeting Room at the Allen County Extension Office. We will be learning about insect anatomy. We will be pinning insect specimens. Please bring your pinning boards, pins and 3 or more insect specimens to pin. Don't forget to put your insect specimens in your relaxing chambers for 12 to 24 hours before the meeting. There will be some extra insects available for pinning in case you do not have any in the freezer. 4-H'ers are welcome to bring a short project talk on another project you are enrolled in for the new 4-H year. Questions? Email Vicky or call her at (620)804-9170.

Save the Date: K-State Junior Producer Day

Junior Producer Days are hosted to provide educational material and hands-on experiences for youth, parents, leaders, extension agents, and ag teachers. Various speakers share information on topics such as selection, nutrition, showmanship, fitting, reproduction, feeding, and disease control. Talks, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and door prizes are present at all events. Beef and Sheep days are hosted in even years, and Swine and Meat Goat days are hosted in odd years.

Both events will be held at the Bilbrey Family Events Center in Manhattan, KS.

K-State Junior Beef Producer Day

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026

Registration Deadline: February 13

Cost: $20/person by February 13 ($30/person after February 13)

*Late registrants will not receive a T-shirt

**All attendees must register, including youth & adults

Kansas State Junior Sheep Producer Day

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026

Registration Deadline: March 20

Cost: $20/person by March 20 ($30/person after March 20)

*Late registrants will not receive a T-shirt

**All attendees must register, including youth & adults

2026-2027 Kansas 4-H Scholarships

The Kansas 4-H Scholarship program is open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, and graduate students who have been part of the 4-H experience. Each scholarship has its own criteria, and you may qualify for several. You will only need to fill out one application to be considered for all available scholarships. The scholarship process combines the State 4-H Scholarships and the Vanier Family Scholarship Program (VFSP) applications together.

The scholarship application is on the Kansas 4-H website, along with many details on the scholarship offerings and application requirements. The deadline for the Kansas 4-H Scholarships is Monday, January 5, 2026.

Partner Events

SevenDays Organization Opportunities

Based in Kansas City, the SevenDays organization provides opportunities encouraging all people to increase kindness through knowledge, mindset and behavior. Their mission is to overcome hate by promoting kindness and understanding through education and dialogue, with a vision to make a ripple to change the world by connecting communities. SevenDays value youth development, interfaith dialogue and cooperation, community connections, health & wellness and more! Check out their website to see all their upcoming opportunities - scholarship for seniors, an art contest, Youth Leadership Team and more!

Paper Clover Fundraiser at Tractor Supply

Tractor Supply proudly began partnering with 4-H in 2010 and has helped raise over $20 million since through the Paper Clover fundraisers. Cool fact: 100% of funds raised through the Paper Clover fundraisers benefit 4-H and 4-H youth. 90% of donations directly support 4-H youth in the state where it was raised and the remaining 10% supports national 4-H programming. The next Paper Clover fundraiser date is November 23 - December 14. Stop by your local Tractor Supply and shop a business that supports 4-H!

Contact Us!

Clover Clips Submission

The deadline for submissions for Clover Clips will be on the 15th of each month. If you have a submission that you would like to have considered for an edition of Clover Clips please send it to Erin at Erin.Yeung@jocogov.org