DATES TO REMEMBER
April 15 – County State Roundup Meeting. (5PM @ Extension Office)
18 – Extension Office Closed for Good Friday
22 – County 4-H Record Book Training (5PM @ Extension Office)
24 – Deadline: RSVP for Volunteer Appreciation Event
UPCOMING COUNTY DEADLINES FOR 4-H CONTEST
Below is a list of deadlines for the upcoming 4-H contest. If you are planning to participate in any of these contests, please contact the Extension Office by the deadline.
*NEW* April 15th – Junior/Intermediate Photography
LIVESTOCK SHOW CHECK UPDATES.
This will be updated weekly as we receive checks from stock shows. The Brown County Extension Office will only be receiving checks for 4-H exhibitors. Checks are available for you to pick up at the Brown County Extension Office during our office hours of 8:30am – 4:30pm, closed 12:00pm – 1:00pm for lunch Monday – Thursday and Friday 8:30am – 12:00pm.
Brown County Youth Fair
- Checks are in
- A thank you letter should be written to each buyer who contributed towards your project. Make sure that it is STAMPED and ADDRESSED and turned into the Extension Office! You will not receive your check until we receive your thank you letters. Handwritten “thank you” letters are best but, depending on your personality and penmanship a typed letter can also be appropriate. Thank each person individually, don’t try and thank a group of people in one letter. PLEASE NOTE THAT CHECKS ARE ONLY VALID FOR 90 DAYS.
Fort Worth
- Premium Checks Arrived
- Sale Checks Pending
San Angelo
- Pending
San Antonio
- Truck Checks Arrived
- Sale Checks Pending
Houston
- Pending
Austin
- Pending
If you have any questions, please contact the Brown County Extension Office. 325-646-0386
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT
Volunteers are the key to our success! The dedication, leadership, and support of our volunteers and partnership organizations allow Brown County 4-H and AgriLife to reach a larger number of youth to make a positive difference in their lives and communities.
To say THANK YOU, we are hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Night at The Mill at Zephyr, May 2nd, 6:00PM – 9:00PM. If you are a volunteer and would like to attend, please RSVP by April 24th, 325-646-0386 or emailing nigonzales@ag.tamu.edu
STATE 4-H ROUNDUP MEETING
If you have a 4-Her who has qualified for a state 4-H contest and will be attending State 4-H Roundup June 2nd – 6th, there will be a meeting on April 15th 5:00pm at the Extension Office. During this time, we will be discussing lodging, contests, practices, and possible fundraising. If you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office.
4-H PAPER CLOVER FUNDRAISER AT TRACTOR SUPPLY:
APRIL 21st – MAY 5TH
Customers at our local Tractor Supply can support Brown County 4-H by purchasing paper clovers at checkout. All funds raised will be donated to 4-H, and 75% will remain in Brown County. Our local Tractor Supply Co. has been one of the top money raisers in this region since the Paper Clover fundraiser started; so, let’s help them become number one in the state, while supporting Brown County 4-H at the same time during this fundraiser.
2025 – 2026 STATE/COUNTY STEER & HEIFER VALIDATION
If you are planning on exhibiting a steer at the Brown County Youth Fair or a State Show it is mandatory that the steer is validated. If you are planning on showing a heifer at any fall shows and it has not been validated, you will need to have it at validation. Steer/Heifer validation will be on June 17, 2025, 9:00am – 11:00am (MUST BE IN LINE BY 11:00am) at Bob Clarks pens. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Extension Office.
DISTRICT 7 4-H LEADERSHIP LAB
The 2025 District 7 4-H Leadership Lab will be held June 24th – 26th at Texas 4-H Conference Center in Brownwood, TX. You must be at least 13 years of age by the date of leadership lab to participate. The cost will be $250 per person for youth. This includes all meals beginning with lunch on Wednesday and ending with breakfast on Friday, insurance, activity fees, lodging and facility use fees. The deadline to register is May 19th on 4-H Online. If you are interested in participating in the district 7 4-H Leadership Lab, please contact the Extension Office.
DISTRICT 7 COUNCIL OPPORTUNITY
The district 4-H Council provides opportunities for youth involvement in 4-H program development. It is an advisory committee which assists in making plans and executing these plans at the district level.
AGE REQUIREMENTS – The president, vice president, and delegate-at large must be between the ages of 16 and 18 as of August 31 of the calendar year in which they are elected. The second vice president, third vice president, secretary, public relations officer, and parliamentarian must be between the ages of 15 and 18 as of August 31 of the calendar year in which they are elected.
To apply for a District 7 Council Officer position, you must have served as a Brown County Council Officer. If you are interested in applying for District 7 Council Officer, please contact Nick Gonzales so that we can provide you with an application.
CENTRAL TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Central Texas Master Gardeners Association is offering a scholarship to graduating seniors in our area who are planning to pursue a degree in an agriculture related field. This would include, but not be limited to, horticulture, plant and soil science, range management, natural resources management, agriculture education, animal science, and wildlife management. If you are interested in applying contact the Extension Office for an application. The deadline for applying is April 14th.
Harry & Mary Clark Holt Scholarship
The Harry & Mary Clark Holt Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior
or a student who has just completed their freshman year in college. An applicant can receive this scholarship only one time. Applicant must be or have been a member of 4-H, FFA, or FCCLA in the Big Country. The Big Country is defined as the following counties:
Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Fisher, Jones, Nolan, Runnels, Shackelford, Taylor, Tom Green
Preference will be given to students with an Agriculture Major. Applicant must have a 75 or better overall grade average. A copy of High School and/or College transcript is required. If you are interested in applying contact the Brown County Extension Office for a application.
Applications are due in the Taylor County Extension Office by May 16.
4-H HORSE VALIDATION – MARCH 1st TO MAY 1st
Validation is required for showing at district or state horse shows, and its
purpose is to certify that ownership requirements have been met. The horse MUST be owned solely by the 4-H member, his/her parents (biological or stepparents), brother, sister, grandparents, or legal guardian. Horses under lease to, but not owned by any of the named persons, do NOT qualify. Horses owned in partnership or jointly with any person other than those previously listed do NOT meet ownership requirements. The horse validation process will be completed electronically using the 4-H Connect online management system.
All 4-H members who wish to show at the District Show or the State 4-H Horse Show will be REQUIRED to validate their horse(s) on the 4-H Online system. Horse validation is completed for EACH HORSE and will cover all 4-H youth members in that family profile. When validating your horse(s) on 4-H Connect, you will select ONLY ONE 4-H youth member to conduct the validation under. Once a horse is validated, validation paid, and you begin registering for the District Horse Show, the validated horse(s) can be moved to the appropriate 4-H member(s) that will be exhibiting the horse in the show.
Validation will be open from March 1st to MAY 1st. Any horse validated before or after this date will NOT be accepted. An illustrated step-by-step instruction guide for families is available for download and reference on both the Texas 4-H website (http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/) and the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science – Equine Science website (http://animalscience.tamu.edu/academics/equine/state-4h-show/). Validation cost for each horse is $10.00 from March 1st – April 15th. From April 16th – May 1st validation cost for each horse is $20.00. Credit Card will be the only acceptable form of payment. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Gonzales at the Extension Office.
Lease horses are now eligible to be validated and shown at District and State 4-H Horse Shows. An official Texas 4-H Horse Lease Agreement must be signed by the exhibitor, horse owner, and the supervising County Extension Agent. The lease period must include, at minimum, May 1st to August 31st of the current 4-H year. The lease agreement form can be found at https://texasyouthlivestock.com/horse-validation/ and must be uploaded to 4H Online at the time of validation.
The 2025 district horse show will be held in San Angelo, Texas on June 10th.
Major Show Livestock Judges
State Fair of Texas 2025
Market Lambs – Jimmy Davis
Market Goats – Bryan Kennedy
Market Steers – Spencer Scotten
Mart Barrows – Clay Zwilling
San Antonio Stock Show 2026
Market Lambs – Steve Sturtz
Market Goats – Barrett Carlisle
Market Steers – Dr. Blake Bloombers, Associate Judge: Kyndal Reitzenstein
Market Barrows – Chad Day & Nick Hofschulte
4-H ENROLLMENT IS OPEN ON 4-H CONNECT!
The enrollment process for the 2024-2025 4-H year begins August 15, 2024. All 4-H families, new and returning, are encouraged to log in and enroll to become an official 4-H member.
As you begin your enrollment for the year, here are some tips in using 4-H CONNECT:
• If you already have a profile DO NOT create another one!
• If you lost your email and password, call the county office so we can reset, it for you.
• Active membership will not be granted until the $25.00 participation fee is paid on 4-H Connect!
• You cannot register or participate in an event until your profile is ACTIVE.
• When you are doing your re-enrollment for the 2024-2025 4-H Year please make sure you update your address, phone number, and e-mail address.
• For any youth who is joining 4-H in 2024-2025 for the first time as a 3rd/4th grader we ask for you NOT TO ENROLL until September 1st. September 1st is the actual first day of the new 4-H year and what is used to calculate grade/age. If a 2nd grader moving into 3rd grade enrolls before September 1st it will “tag” them as a Clover Kid, not charge an enrollment fee and lock them in as a Clover Kid for the year.
Don’t wait until the last minute to enroll because after October 31st the cost increases to $30!!
The Texas 4-H fee schedule is below:
$25.00 – Club Member Enrollment Discounted Fee: August 15 – October 31
$30.00 – Club Member Enrollment Regular Fee: November 1 to the completion of 4-H year
$10.00 – Clover Kid Enrollment Regular Fee
$10.00 – Adult Volunteer Application Fee
IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE ON ENROLLING PLEASE CONTACT THE EXTENSION OFFICE AT 325-646-0386 OR BY EMAILING MISTY FUQUA mfuqua@ag.tamu.edu.