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4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
NEWSLETTER
21 Central District
| "TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER" | | |
DISTRICT 4-H CALENDER
January
- 1st and 2nd - District Offices closed
- 16th - SFCO YEC Last Day to Sign Up
- 24th - Sheep & Goat Conference 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Hodgeman County Fairgrounds
- 26th - Citizenship in Action (CIA) - Registration Due
- 30th - District Wide Club Day Entries Due
February
- 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
- 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 pm at the fairgrounds
- 20th - Sheep Producer Day - Registration Due
April
- 11th - Sheep Producer Day
- 13th - SFCO Macksville & Stafford Area Tagging Day
- 15th - SFCO St John & Hudson Area Tagging Day
- 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!
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Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC)
The goal is to expose Kansas middle school and high school students to entrepreneurship. This local competition is made possible by the generous support of Network Kansas. This competition is open to youth grades 7th-12th. Teams can consist of 1 to 4 students.
Pin Application Options:
For pin applications, it states you must attend one 4-H club or county/district event. You may now attend the YEC event as a fulfillment of your pin application.
**Reminder**: By participating in the local 4-H Club Day, you may qualify for the Regional 4-H Club Days. Additionally, participating in the local YEC competition could qualify you for the State YEC Competition (note that there is no YEC regional competition available).
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Stafford County Information
January 16th Last Date to Sign Up
February 11th YEC Competition at the Stafford County Annex Building
April 28-29th YEC State in Manhattan
YEC Deadline Dates and more information
There are three prizes for 1st ($750), 2nd ($500), and 3rd ($250). The first-place winner will get a chance to participate at the State level in Manhattan. There potentially is more prize money for those that go to State. If the student doesn't win at the County level, they will be able to apply for a wild card spot.
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Edwards County Information
February 10th at the High School
April 28-29th YEC State in Manhattan
Dr. Amaro will be integrating the curriculum in her class
If you would like to participate outside of this class, please contact the Kinsley Extension Office, and we will provide you with the necessary information.
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Citizenship in Action (CIA)
Would you like to have more influence in laws and rules that affect your life? Then you’ll want to go to Kansas 4-H Citizenship in Action! This two day event is sponsored by the State 4-H Youth Leadership Council. The purpose of the event is for Kansas youth to learn how the state legislative process works and how their voice and participation in decision-making can make a difference in their local communities. The legislative visit will not only familiarize youth with the capitol building but will also show them how they can affect the legislative process.
Times for this year's event will run very similar to last years, so please use that agenda until the new one is posted.
Registration Deadline: January 26, 2026, at midnight OR when we reach our CAP
For More Information and To Register - Due to Hotel room constraints, we will be capping the number of attendees so get registered soon.
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Edwards County: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 7:00 pm in Offerle. Host Club: Trenton Workers.
Stafford County: Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Macksville School following Club Days around noon.
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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!!)
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Looking for a special way to spend Valentine's Day with someone? You're in luck! We're hosting a District-Wide Club Day at Macksville Elementary School.
Location: Macksville Grade School at 433 N Gilmore Ave, Macksville, KS 67557
Date & Time: Saturday, February 14th, 2026, starting at 8:00 am
Entries DUE Friday, January 30, 2026
Club Day Sign-Ups are now open.
Please note: Counties will not compete against each other. The event will be the same for everyone, held at a single location.
For more details, visit the Club Day Handbook on our website.
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Registration for the K-State Junior Producer Days is now open!
*Anyone attending this family event must register, including youth and adults.
**Registration is non-refundable.
***Must register by the deadline to receive a t-shirt.
Both events will be hosted at the new Bilbrey Family Event Center.
New Registration Platform! Families will be prompted to set up a profile under a parent/guardian and then add at least one child. Once the account is created and you login to register for each day, you will have the opportunity to add children and other adults. The platform is not linear, so if you follow the prompts to the end and have multiple kids or adults to register, you will have to click on the “child” or “additional adult” tab on the left to view the options to add those individuals. Once you checkout, you will be able to view the number of kids and adults registered. A photo release and liability waiver will also be requested for each person through the platform. Families will receive a confirmation email to the address used to set up the profile after the registration is submitted.
Families who plan to attend both junior days will need to register through each unique link, separately. A confirmation email for each event will be issued once payment is processed.
| | 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.
Fair T-Shirt Design for Stafford County Fair
Please send all fair T-shirt design entries to Jewell at jewellg@ksu.edu and Maribel at maribel24@ksu.edu. Submit your entries by Friday, January 30th. The shirts will be voted on during club day. The 2026 fair theme is "Rooted in the Past, Growing the Future, Celebrating 120 Years of Kansas 4-H."
T-Shirt Template & Rules
There will NOT be a T-shirt Contest this year for Edwards County. The Fair board will handle all things for fair t-shirts this year!
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2026 Livestock Fair Tagging and Weigh-In Dates Announced
SFCO will hold beef tagging on Saturday, February 21, at 8:00 am at Seibert Feeding, located at 651 20th Ave, Macksville, KS 67557.
Stafford County small-animal tagging sign-ups will be announced soon; tagging for the Macksville and Stafford areas will take place on Monday, April 13, while tagging for the St. John and Hudson areas will take place on Wednesday, April 15.
EDCO's beef tagging is set for Saturday, March 14, at 1:00 pm at the Edwards County Fairgrounds, with small-animal tagging on Saturday, April 25, at 1:00 pm at the same location.
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 these days, alternative arrangements must be made beforehand.
All market livestock must be tagged by the May 1 deadline.
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Livestock Project Planning Meeting Follow-Up
- We had a great turnout for our District-Wide 4-H Livestock Project Meeting!
- What was Discussed? The basics of showmanship, handling/ training, and our Stafford County Beef Superintendent, Jeff Stump, provided insights on fitting and grooming.
- We also covered some general expectations and requirements. Which you can view below. This sheet also includes some helpful links to resources for all things livestock.
Livestock Tip Sheet, Rules & Reminders
| | 4-H Membership ACHIEVEMENT PINS: We have updated our website with the new applications. | | | | |
