• Big Sky Country State Fair & Fairgrounds Staff (Set Up, Facilities, Labor)
• AgWest Farm Credit (Livestock Show Tent)
• First Security Bank (Livestock Barns, Market Buckles, Sale Staff)
• Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply (Show Ring)
• Gallatin County 4-H Foundation (Livestock fans, panels and scales)
• Daniel's Gourmet Meats & Sausages (Buyer's BBQ)
• Swan Land Company (Small Animal Tent)
• Taylor'd Services (Small Animal Tent)
• Opportunity Bank (Presenting Sponsor for the 2024 Fair)
• The Moose 94.7 (First Bedding Sponsor)

• Rocky Mountain Supply (Round Robin Competition & MORE)
• NorthWestern Energy
• Stone Glacier
• Gallatin Cattlewomen (Concessions)
• Edison Electrical Contractors, Inc.
• Rising Sun Auto Repair
• Montana Embroidery
• Summit Dental
• Lehrkind's
• Great Floors
• Bank of the Rockies
• McDonalds
• Gallatin County Farm Bureau
• Signs & Designs Unlimited

• Stockman Bank
• Yellowstone Orthodontics
• Cottonwood Veterinary Hospital

• Montana Farmers Union
• Four Corners Saddlery

Big Sky Country State Fair Survey

The Gallatin County Fairgrounds staff has already started planning for Fair 2025. Share any Fair-related feedback via their post-fair survey below.

Congratulations to our 2024 Round Robin competitors and champions! Showmanship skills and knowledge are put to the test as the top two Junior showmen and top two Senior showmen in each species battle it out in the ultimate showmanship challenge. The 40 participants exhibited 10 species (we added Dog this year!) in fast-paced rotations and the top 5 in each division are recognized below.

Senior Grand Champion: Nicole Berger

Senior Reserve Champion: Kylie Brownell

Senior 3rd Place: Dakota Woodring

Senior 4th Place: Lydia Black

Senior 5th Place: Natalie Samson

Junior Grand Champion: Griffin Jensen

Junior Reserve Champion: Bridger Noonan

Junior 3rd Place: Kallie Mitchell

Junior 4th Place: Heidi Hutchison

Junior 5th Place: Daniel Sendra

Thank you Rocky Mountain Supply for sponsoring the event and champion buckles! Thank you to Emily from RMS for joining us again this year to present the awards.

We are so proud of all our Round Robin qualifiers:

Lizzy Brownell (beef), Jaci Dysktra-Toews (beef), Chesney Doubet (beef), Drew Tatarka (dairy cow), Madison Oostema (dairy cow), Bob Smieja (dairy cow), Jake Oostema (dairy cow), Riata Billing (dairy goat), Brailey Brownell (meat goat), Corban Lewellen (meat goat), Lynn Catterlin (horse), Hailey Reed (horse), Josey Woodring (horse), Moriah Colton (poultry), Doug Fountaine (poultry), Zoey Chaffins (poultry), Caleb Fountaine (poultry), Isabella Roman (rabbit), Keira Unrein (rabbit), Heidi Dyk-Stainer (sheep), Emma Baeth (sheep), Austyn Smith (sheep), Alexa Smieja (swine), Hayden Wiening (swine), Kaydence Jensen (swine), Makenze Woodring (dog), Sean Marble (dog), Micah Hielig (dog) 

Congratulations to our 2024 Bob Brownell Memorial 4-H Herdsmanship Award recipients! This award is presented to members for keeping excellent appearance, condition and cleanliness of the stalls and barns and being courteous and polite to fellow 4-H and FFA members, adults and fair visitors.

Recipients are nominated in each of the species barns.

Beef Novice - Brayden Krogstad

Beef Junior - Decker Trainor

Beef Senior - George Stenberg

Dairy Cow - Joe Kamerman

Dairy Goat Junior - Josie Duncan

Dairy Goat Senior - Bridger Ypma

Horse - Catherine Schmitt

Market Goat Junior - Brody Ward

Market Goat Senior - Moriah Colton

Poultry - JoeLyn Neiminen

Sheep - Rivers Phelps

Swine Novice - Thomas Longden-Powell

Swine Junior - Weston Harwood

Swine Senior- Luke Randall

Rabbit Novice - Madison Roberts

Rabbit Junior - Sean Marble

Rabbit Senior - Maggie Radke

Congratulations to our 22 Gallatin County 4-H Class of 2024 Graduating Senior members! At the senior recognition ceremony at Fair we celebrated their hard work, dedication and contributions to our 4-H program during their time as youth members. We wish them all the best in their futures as 4-H Alumni! 

Pictured from left to right: Gallatin 4-H Foundation representative Char Seger, Hailey Morgan, Dakota Woodring, Jaci Dykstra-Toews, Ester Halverson, Kylie Brownell, Tyson Bakke, Lynn Catterlin and 4-H Agent Molly

Not pictured: Alison Sutherlin, Ben Nash, Carol Maxcy, Cheyenne Cavin, Cora Pruitt, Ethan Bates, Grace Simser, Erica Hastings, Erica Knappenberger, Ericka Johnson, Hannah Todd, Karin Williams, Lane Smart, Luke Phillips, and Maddux Prechter.

HUGE Thank You to our brave, creative and dedicated Concessions Co-Managers who took on the task of running our 4-H Cafe this year at the Fair: 

Amy Juliano, Laura Fisher, Tiffany Togstad & Toni Berger.

We could not have done this without you! You are ROCKSTARS! They put in countless hours planning, prepping, purchasing, setting up, cooking, etc. to make our food stand possible this year, despite changes and challenges. 

Thank you to all the members and parents that helped out in the kitchen and/or stand all week long. Our main goal was to continue to provide affordable, convenient food options to our 4-H families while they were at Fair all week long - and we accomplished that goal. Although our 4-H Cafe booth and menu looked different this year, we hope you all enjoyed and appreciated the service this year.

Gallatin County 4-H was well represented at the 2024 Montana 4-H Congress in Bozeman earlier in July. Gallatin 4-H had 8 teen members in attendance this year (& we are chaperoning 3 additional teens from Beaverhead County 4-H)! 

4 of which participated in Pre-Congress planning committees prior to the main state event, 5 of which competed in state contests (Stir-Ups Cooking, horse judging, illustrated talk and fashion revue). Congratulations to our Gallatin 4-H volunteers and youth members for their amazing accomplishments!!

Toni Berger - District 6 State Volunteer of the Year Recipient (less than 10 years of service)

Sheila Smart - District 6 State Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Recipient (10+ years of service)

Cassie Smieja - State Outstanding Alumni Recipient

Bonnie Radke - 2024-2025 State Ambassador Officer Montana Extension Advisory Committee Representative (MEAC)

Bonnie Radke - State Youth Award in Leadership Project (earns trip to Nationals)

Mattie Oostema - State Youth Award in Poultry Project (earns trip to Nationals)

Bonnie Radke - 2nd place Fashion Revue Contest

Hazel Nash - 4th place Stir-Ups Cooking Contest 

Cora Pruitt - Montana 4-H scholarship recipient

Kaitlyn Scott (alumni) - Montana 4-H scholarship recipient

Hannah Todd - Montana 4-H scholarship recipient

Montana 4-H Shooting Sports Teams competed at the 2024 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships. This event is held in Grand Island, Nebraska, June 23 – June 28, 2024.  There were 708 competitors from 40 states at this event.  There are nine disciplines that take place at the National Shoot.  They are Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, Smallbore Pistol, Recurve Archery, Compound Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloader, and Hunting Skills.  Please go to the following link to see the results for the 3 days of events and overall standings. https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports/national-results-images.

The teams competed in the following disciplines:

Air Rifle

The team competed in the Sporter 3-Postion 3x10 match, Sporter Standing 40 Shot Match, and the 40 Shot Sporter Silhouette Match.  Garrett Svaldi finished 7^th overall. The team finished 9^th place over all for the week.

• Garrett Svaldi – Gallatin County
• Emily Hall – Flathead County
• Ash Leonard – Yellowstone County
• Dean Green – Yellowstone County
• Coach – Shayne Hall – Flathead County

Air Pistol

The duo competed in 40 Shot Rapid Fire, 40 Shot Silhouette, and 40 Shot Slow Fire.

• Bryce Bedord – Teton County – 2^nd Overall
• Josie Ball – Gallatin County – 19^th Overall
• Coach – Brian Bedord – Teton County

Compound Archery

The team was 10^th Place in FITA, 6^th Place in Field, and 13^th Place in 3D Archery.  The team finished 8^th overall. Stran Barnosky placed 9^th in 3D Archery.

• Stan Barnosky – Madison County
• AJ Sharkey – Missoula County
• Jacynta Bomgardner – Chouteau County
• Gracelynn Duetes – Missoula County
• Coach – Sid Amaro – Park County

Recurve Archery

The team placed 1^st Place in Field, 1^st Place in FITA, and 1^st Place in 3D Archery.  The team finished 1^st overall.  Mavrick Greemore finished 1^st Place in Field, FITA, and 3D Archery.  He completed the week 1^st Place overall.  Dakota Stewart finished 6^th place in Field, 12^th place in FITA, and 10^th place in 3D Archery.  He finished in 7^th place overall

• Mavrick Greemore – Madison County
• Dakota Stewart – Beaverhead County
• Katelyn Pope – Ravalli County
• Katelyn Frost – Park County
• Coach – Jason Frost –Park County

Shotgun

The team competed in Sporting Clays, Skeet, and Trap.  The team finished 28^th overall

• Owen Plagmann – Gallatin County
• Taylor Dreitz – Gallatin County
• Ben Rodgers – Gallatin County
• Garret Wilmar – Lake County
• Coach Steve Plagmann – Gallatin County

Thank you to all the competitors, coaches, families, and spectators.  The State of Montana was well represented.  Well done.

4-H Help at the Bozeman Stampede

Each year Gallatin County 4-H is given the amazing opportunity to make money for their club / project / committee of their choosing during the annual Bozeman Stampede event. The Bozeman Stampede is a non-profit organization that brings a 3-night PRCA rodeo to Bozeman every year since 2010 (Check out their website https://www.bozemanstampede.com/). The 2024 Bozeman Stampede is set to be on the nights of August 8^th, 9^th & 10^th , 2024. The Stampede generously shares part of their profits and pays the clubs and groups that help them put on the rodeo, including prep and cleanup days (August 7^th and August 11^th).

**Please note: We do not know the exact amount the Stampede will give 4-H each year. In years past they have generously given us program-wide donations on top of what we actually worked for – but we do not want to count on that, nor guarantee an exact rate/amount. They are sharing their profits with us because they support and believe in 4-H and our mission, any amount they choose to provide us will be appreciated. Past groups have made upwards of $20/hour per person so it’s a great way to raise funds for your club/project/committee.

Keep an eye out for emails coming from your Species Leaders with a SignUp Genius link for rodeo shifts - we need all hands on deck!!

Promote 4-H at the Manhattan Potato Festival!

Gallatin County 4-H will have a presence again at the Manhattan Potato Festival on Saturday, August 17^th. We will have a Gallatin County 4-H float in the parade and a 4-H promotional booth in the park. This is a great way to stay involved in 4-H this summer, show off our 4-H spirit to our community and recruit new members and volunteers for clubs/projects for the upcoming 4-H year!

SIGN UP NOW! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-50448686-2024

Event details: Facebook

• Parade/Float
• We want both animal and indoor projects highlighted in the parade with use of project banners and members walking/riding with the float holding signs (throwing candy, handing out 4-H stickers, etc.)
• See SignUp Genius link above for dates, times and ways to participate
• **Participating members/parents will have to sign liability waivers from the Potato Festival – once you sign up, I will email you that form to complete.
• 4-H Promotional Booth
• Commitment would be 10:30am-3pm (there will be 2 shifts)
• Club leaders, experienced members and Extension office staff would be great to have at the booth to answer questions about clubs, activities, projects and the enrollment process for the 2024-2025 4-H year

We have the AMAZING opportunity to continue to work MSU Concessions and this has become a GREAT way to raise money for 4-H club/project activities! Please see the link below for the 2024 Fall Fundraising concessions events at MSU! We frequently commit to events throughout the year as they arise and update the SignUp Genius accordingly.

What does working MSU Concessions entail? All food is made and prepped by MSU Culinary/Concessions staff, 4-H members/parents just simply sell and serve it out of one of the concessions stands on MSU Campus (Stadium or Fieldhouse depending on the event). This is a super easy, fun and quick way to make money for your Clubs/Projects and gain some skills in the service industry! A Stand Leader and MSU Concessions staff will train you on the spot with what you need to know - No experience necessary! 

Fall Fundraising Event SignUp: 

During the 2023-2024 4-H Year, 4-H Clubs/Projects earned over $19,000 total working at MSU Concession events!! If club/project members sign up for an event as a group, your club/project will get ALL the tips and a percentage of the profits from that event. If multiple projects/clubs sign up for the same game, then the tips and profits will be split between the groups. So, we highly encourage you to gather up your members, pick a game/event that your club/project will work as one group to maximize the amount of money you will earn!

Depending on the event, the day/time/hours will vary and depending on our concessions stand location, the number of people we will need per game will vary. We will need a combination of youths (minimum age of 10 with parent accompaniment) and teens/adults (ages 15+) to run cash registers.

If you have any questions, please contact the 4-H Office

gallatin4h@montana.edu

First Aid & CPR Courses

Ages 12+ welcome!! Join Belgrade Community Library for their first ever

Heartsaver CPR & First Aid classes, in partnership with Central Valley Fire District, on August 27 and 29, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. These classes will be taught to American Heart Association (AHA) certification levels. The class itself is free, so you are welcome to attend and leave with the full CPR training at no cost.  If you have been wanting to officially certify or re-certify, this class will meet the requirements. You can then pay (through CVFD) $25 for you AHA card. Obtaining an AHA card is entirely optional and offered as a convenience to attendees; everyone who attends will receive the same training, regardless of whether they opt to officially certify through AHA. CVFD is graciously covering the cost of their instructor(s) fees, so we are excited to be able to offer this training for free to community members.

Hands-Only CPR (1.5 hour class) and Stop the Bleed classes will be offered later this Fall - stay tuned if that is of interest to you!

Space is limited, so please register here if you would like to attend.