Looking for the Fairbook or ID sheets? (County & State Fair)
What about information on Quality Assurance? (Miscellaneous)
Need forms, dates or deadlines?
You can find all this and more in Resources for 4-H and More Resources for 4-H below.
4-H NEWSLETTERS
DECEMBER 4-H NEWSLETTER
- Achievement Celebration February 1st
- Achievement Applications due 1/15/26
- Diamond Clover Awards
- 4-H Enrollment is open
- Volunteer Virtual training
- Career Chats
- Paper Clover promotion
- Farm Bureau Leadership Program
- Aviation Art Contest
THINGS TO DO & TRY
Nebraska Fed Steer Challenge applications now open!
Please apply by December 15th, 2025 for the 2026 program year. For more information regarding the Fed Steer Challenge, or to submit an application please visit https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge
The Program includes raising a steer purchased at market price, monthly webinars with industry professional and UNL Animal Science Faculty, a special class at the Nebraska State Fair evaluated by a commercial cattle buyer, and harvesting steers to evaluate carcass merit. Monthly content includes: Feeder Cattle Pricing and Starting Cattle on Feed, Winter Feeding & Care of Cattle, Implants & Growth Modifiers, Cattle & the Environment, Risk Management Strategies, Summer Feeding & Care of Cattle, Quality & Yield Grading and Grid Pricing for Carcass Merit.
2026 Nebraska 4-H Farrowed & Swine Cohort
We are now accepting registrations for the 2026 Farrowed & Owned Swine Cohort! Registration closes on January 30th!
This opportunity is designed to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H swine project by focusing on swine production, accurate record keeping, and industry knowledge and engagement by the 4-H member.
Exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at any Nebraska county fair or the Nebraska State Fair. Exhibiting at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair is optional. All cohort members will participate in an interview at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair. Exhibiting your animal at the Nebraska State Fair is not a requirement for the record book and interview portion of the cohort. Join the first session in February for more details!
Visit 4h.unl.edu/farrowed-owned to get started.
Special Garden Project
The Special Garden Project is a way to offer Nebraska youth the chance to grow unusual and fun projects in their gardens.
The 2026 Special Garden Project will focus on the Alumia Vanilla Cream Marigold. This marigold produces creamy, yellow flowers on compact plants. This variety not only has a unique color, but it also has a very long bloom time.
Youth are encouraged to enroll for Horticulture/Plant Science through 4-H Online. Youth will then have to reach out to their local Extension Office to sign up and order the seeds. It will be up to the county office to keep track of the youth that signed up and share the educational materials including the growing newsletter & evaluation (included at the end of the growing newsletter). https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/special-garden-project/
HALTER
Welcome to the Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) Program! This progressive series of lessons is designed for adult volunteers working with youth in the horse industry to provide equine science information, student activities, and techniques to foster positive youth development. These courses can be taken in any order, based on your background knowledge or areas of interest.
Once you have successfully completed each level, and their associated requirements, you will receive a certificate of completion. The fee for a 12 month subscription for this course is $25 or $75 if you purchase all 4 HALTER courses. And from now until December 31, 2025 each course is 50% off when you use code HolidaySpecial.
Resources for 4-H
JOIN 4-H
- 4-H online enrollment site
- Code of Conduct
- Volunteer screening information
- Project Resources
4-H CONTESTS
- Favorite Foods
- Public Speaking
- Presentation
- Music
- Clothing Day
CAMPS, WORKSHOPS & CLINICS
- 4-H Workshops
- Large and Small Animals
- Horse/Equine
More Resources for 4-H
4-H Council
- Meet Dakota County 4-H Council
- Minutes
- Constitution & Bylaws
4-H Ambassadors
- Meet the Ambassadors
- Ambassador application
County & State Fair
- Fairbook
- Livestock affidavits
- Entry Forms
- Dates/Deadlines
4-H In Dakota County
4-H in Dakota prepares our young people for successful futures. The Educational programs place a strong emphasis on life skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, social skills, communication responsibility, citizenship, and leadership.
Dakota County 4-H members are either in clubs or join as independent members. There are three clubs in Dakota County
- Dad's Cowhands & Mother's Helpers
- Homer Future Leaders
- Hubbard Jr Feeders
- Independent members
- Omadi Legacy Trailblazers
Contact the Extension Office for information on joining 4-H
2025 4-H CALENDAR
JANUARY |
| 1 - Office Closed, New Years Day 20 - Office closed—Martin Luther King Day |
FEBRUARY |
Nebraska 4-H month 1- Farrowed & Owned Swine Cohort registration deadline |
MARCH |
| 3 - Extension Board meeting 3 - 4-H Council meeting 17 - 4-H All Contest Day - Registration deadline 21 - 4-H Robotics Expansion event (UNL) 22 - All Contest Day (United Church, Pender, NE) 22- Siouxland Garden Symposium, Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, SC, IA 28 29 - 4-H Horse stampede, UNL Animal Science Complex 31 - Dakota County 4-H Scholarship due |
APRIL |
| 5 - Big Red Camp - Early bird tuition deadline 7 - Dakota County Extension Board 12 - All Contest Rain Date 14 - Joint 4-H Council (TBD) 20-26 - National Volunteer Week 22 - Easter Sunday |
MAY |
| 5 - Extension Board meeting 26 - Office closed Memorial Day 29 - All horse ID’s, district & State Entries DUE 31 - 4-H Foundation Governor’s Agricultural Excellence Award Deadline |
JUNE |
| 2 - Extension Board meeting 9 - 4-H Council meeting 15 - Apply to State Livestock Achievement program (final report 8/1) 15 - ALL LIVESTOCK ID’S AFFIDAVITS DUE 15 - State Fair livestock nominations/DNA due 15 - Final enrollment/project deadline 17 - 18 - P.A.S.E. UNL 19 -20 - Premier Communications Event—UNL |
JULY |
| 4 - Office closed Independence Day 7 - Extension Board 12-16—Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo 16 - ALL County Fair pre-entry deadline 26 - Fairgrounds Cleanup day 28 - 4-H Clothing Day, Fairgrounds 27 --August 3 - County Fair Week |
AUGUST |
| July 27- August 3. - County Fair Week 10 - State Fair Animal & in person entries due 20 - Static entries to for delivery to State fair 22 - September 1—Nebraska State Fair 22-24 - 4-H State Fair Livestock Show Weekend |
SEPTEMBER |
| August 23—September 1 - Nebraska State Fair August 30- September 1 - State Fair FFA Livestock Show weekend 1 - Office Closed - Labor Day 8 - 4-H Council meeting (may be a joint meeting TBD) 25-28 - Ak-Sar-Ben Stock Show, Fonner Park Grand Island |
OCTOBER |
| 5-11—National 4-H Week 6 - Extension Board meeting 31 - Happy Halloween |
NOVEMBER |
| 3 - Extension Board meeting 1 - Office closed - Veterans Day 27-28 - Office Closed, Thanksgiving Holiday |
DECEMBER |
1 - Extension Board meeting
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