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2025-2026 Gallatin County 4-H Year Theme is...
"Hands in the Dirt. Hearts in the Work"
This theme honors the grit, growth, and heart that our members, leaders, and families put into our program. 4-Hers show up with determination, compassion, and a willingness to dig in. Here’s to a year of trying new things, learning by doing, and putting our whole hearts into the work that matters.
🍀💚
Thank you to all those who submitted their creative theme/phrase ideas and/or voted on our BAND poll to determine our theme! |
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ENROLL NOW & PAY TO AVOID LATE FEES
**On December 1st,
ANOTHER $10 per month late fee will be added to ALL enrollments!
4-H ENROLLMENT POLICY UPDATE:
Our Gallatin County 4-H program enrollment policy has been updated and our enrollment window will open October 1st and will now close January 15th (previously March 1st) – which means ALL youth and volunteers MUST be enrolled in 4-H and any/all projects they plan to participate in no later than January 15th, especially if planning to participate in the Fair in that project area.
RETURNING 4-H Youth Members and Volunteers will re-enroll through their existing ZSuite account and re-select your projects and clubs for the new 4-H Year.
BE SURE to update any mailing addresses, parent AND youth emails, phone numbers and/or medical information at this time.
NEW 4-H Youth Members technically have all the way until January 15th to join our county 4-H program.
However, the earlier the better to ensure they can take full advantage of program offerings, New 4-H Family Orientations, project orientations, club elections and get in before projects fill up!
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Due to facility and/or leader and project capacity, the following 4-H Projects are NOW FULL and are no longer accepting enrollments for the 2025-2026 year:
- Archery
- Baking @ MSU w/ leader Erin, Katie & Krista
- Beef Market AND Breeding
- Cake Decorating w/ leader Izzy
- Cloverbud Project w/ leader BreeAnna
- Cooking @ MSU w/ leader Ryley
- Dog Obedience w/ leader Jen
- Knitting & Crochet w/ leaders Kim & Kate
- Leathercraft w/ leader Merrita
- Poultry Market/Meat AND Breed/Show
- Photography w/ leader Tamara
- Sewing w/ leader Laura
- Sheep Market AND Breeding
These projects have now been "hidden" on ZSuite to prevent additional enrollments. **If you are interested in being added to a waitlist in case any member drops the project, please email gallatin4h@montana.edu
We are very excited to see that these projects were so popular! We apologize for the inconvenience if you were interested in enrolling in one of these projects, but this shows how important it is to enroll sooner than later when the new 4-H year opens.
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Getting Started in Your 4-H Independent Study Project
Projects with no official Leader = Independent Study 4-H Projects
If a youth member is enrolled in a Project that Gallatin County 4-H does not currently have an official leader for, members participate in that project as “Independent Study”, with their parent/guardian as a “helper.” Independent Projects are a great way to build skills, learn by doing, and take ownership of a self-directed learning experience. Families will guide youth members through the project at home utilizing the 4-H Project Curriculum Book.
Below are some FAQ and steps to help you get started and stay on track for a successful year:
1. Which Gallatin County 4-H projects are Independent Study 4-H Projects in 2025-2026?
- We currently have youth enrolled in: Aerospace, Baking Independent Study, Cake Decorating Independent Study, Cooking Independent Study, Electric, Embroidery, Entomology, Family Adventures, Forestry, Gardening, Careers with Horses, Interior Design, Pocket Pets, Robotics, Scrapbooking, Sewing Independent Study, Small Engines, Visual Arts, Welding, Woodworking
2. When do I get started in my Independent Study 4-H Project?
-
As soon as possible!! Pick up project curriculum books and Record Book documents for the year at the 4-H Extension Office (903 N. Black Ave, Bozeman – located within the Fairgrounds) - these are required to participate in Fair, the sooner you start the better!
- YOU are the leader of your own project so tailor the project pace around your family’s schedule. You can either cruise through the activities/curriculum during a slow season in your year or pace yourself to work on your project on a monthly basis like our other 4-H projects do
3. Keep Up with Your Record Book - Record books are an important part of every 4-H project. They help members track goals, progress, expenses, and reflections.
- Use the Gallatin County 4-H Record Book resources: 4-H Record Book - Gallatin County Extension | Montana State University
- ***Youth must complete just 7 activities in their project curriculum book per 4-H year (requirement if participating/submitting an exhibit to the Fair) – youth do not finish the whole curriculum book in one year, they are designed to last up to 3 years (21 activities per book, finish 7 per year = should last 3 years).
- Update your project journal regularly
- Include photos or documentation of your work
4. Define Your Project Goals - Start by identifying what your member wants to learn or accomplish this year in that Project area
Ask questions like:
- What interests me about this topic?
- What new skills do I want to learn?
- What will my final project or exhibit look like?
Set S.M.A.R.T Goals in your Record Book:
- Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, answering the questions of who, what, where, when, and why. For example, instead of saying "I want to improve my skills," a specific goal would be "I want to learn how to plant a vegetable garden in my backyard."
- Measurable: There should be criteria for measuring progress toward the goal. This could involve quantifying the goal or setting milestones. For instance, "I will plant at least 10 different types of vegetables by the end of the summer.
- Attainable: Goals should be realistic and achievable, considering the resources and constraints. An attainable goal might be "I will dedicate two hours each week to gardening."
- Relevant/Realistic: The goal should matter to the individual and align with broader objectives. For example, "Learning to garden will help me understand where my food comes from and promote healthy eating.
- Time- Bound: Goals should have a deadline or timeframe for completion. For instance, "I will complete my vegetable garden by June 30."
5. Begin Your Project Work - Independent projects can take many forms—some examples include:
- Working through the project curriculum book to learn about the subject area and completing hands-on tasks
- Creating an item (i.e. woodworking or sewing item)
- Exploring potential careers within that project area
- Conducting an experiment or research projec
- Keep detailed notes and photos of your progress along the way. These will be helpful for your record book and fair display later.
6. Participating in the County Fair
- Participating in our annual county fair (Big Sky Country State Fair – 3rd week of July) is not required, however highly encouraged as it is a great opportunity to showcase our local 4-H youth, their skills, creativity and accomplishments! Gallatin 4-H has an entire indoor exhibit building at the fair that is dedicated to 4-H/FFA youth exhibits.
- Participating in the fair will require turning in a Record Book (due June 24th, 2026) and completing a brief interview(s) with a community member judge with their project the week before the Fair (i.e. poster, sewn item, welding creation, etc) – more information to come on this later.
- Think about how you might share what you’ve learned at our annual County Fair…
Ideas include:
- A display board summarizing your project
- An educational poster with photos and key learnings
- A finished product (like an art piece, model, or baked item)
- A presentation or demonstration
7. S
tay Connected - Even though you don’t have an official designated Project Leader, you’re still part of our Gallatin 4-H community!
- Take advantage of our county-wide activities and workshops that are offered throughout the year – all activities are published in our monthly 4-H Newsletter: 4-H Newsletters - Gallatin County Extension | Montana State University
- If you’d like guidance, feedback, or project ideas, reach out to the Extension Office at gallatin4h@montana.edu or 406-582-3280. We can connect you with project resources, examples, or others with experience in your area of interest.
We’re excited to see the creativity and independence that comes from these projects. Thank you for supporting your member’s 4-H journey—and remember, the most important part of any 4-H project is learning by doing!
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CAN THE GRIZ FOOD DRIVE - RESULTS
Congratulations to our Gallatin 4-H Clubs/Projects/Individuals that participated in our program's Food Drive Contest this year! Thank you for helping us
Can the Griz and collect food for our community on behalf on Gallatin County 4-H!
1st Place:
Dry Creek Club (141 pounds) – receives $150 to Club account + Root Beer Float Party funded/provided by the 4-H Office
2nd Place:
Poultry Project (98 pounds) – receives $100 to Project account
3rd Place:
Rustad Family (23 pounds) – receives $50 to a 4-H Project/Club of their choosing
Honorable Mentions:
Ora et Labora Club (17 pounds)
Horse Projects (11 pounds)
Pass Creek Club (9 pounds)
From MSU News:
"MSU and Gallatin Valley communities donated 335,189 pounds of food and $683,424, according to Kim Cleary in the MSU Office of Student Engagement, which coordinates Can the Griz. Pounds and dollars are added together for the contest, resulting in a total this year of 1,018,613 pounds donated to Can the Griz. The Can the Cats food drive in Missoula brought in the equivalent of 1,091,754 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank, Cleary said." |
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Montana 4-H Fall Leadership Training 2025
Gallatin County 4-H took 17 teens to Butte in November to
mine for new leadership tools to bring back to our county program. Teen Leaders/Ambassadors
dug deep - discovering their strengths, uncovering skills and
striking gold with new friendships and teamwork. From creative hands-on workshops that explored topics like mental health, gratitude, brainstorming and promotional skills, to reflections and fun activities, these young leaders learned that leadership is built through hard work, self-discovery, and community!
🍀⛏️💎💰
Congrats to Gallatin 4-H Ambassador Wyatt Biggs who was awarded the “Solid Rock Award” from the State Ambassador Team that recognized his reliability and trustworthiness as a leader that others can always count on! |
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Gallatin County 4-H is proud to partner with
Thanks to this collaboration, our 4‑H members can donate meat from their extra fair animals, and community buyers at the Big Sky Country State Fair Market Livestock Sale can also contribute. Together, we’re providing meals to Montana veterans🍀 |
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Congratulations to Gallatin County 4-H and Gallatin Valley Sharp Shooters member
Natalie Samson for signing with Ohio State University to continue her competitive shooting sports career in college! |
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Congratulations to our Gallatin 4-H Livestock Judging Teams for their successes at the 2025 John Deere Ag Expo (JDAE) competitions in Bozeman in November!
🍀🐄🐖🐑
Our Senior Team (Josie D., Aleana S., Bob S., Drew T.) placed 8th out of 76 teams. Josie Duncan was our highest ranked Senior placing 6th out of 348 participants!
Our Junior Team was a member down so they competed as a team of three (Bridger N., Flint N., Daniel S. - pictured below) but still placed 27th out of 48 teams. Bridger Noonan was our highest ranked Junior placing 29th out of 220 participants! |
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NAE4-HYDP Achievement in Service Award
Gallatin County 4-H Agent Molly Yurdana was recently selected as the Montana recipient of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Achievement in Service Award, which recognizes those who have demonstrated excellence and impact in their early years of service.
🍀🍀🍀
Message from Molly: "I’m approaching 5 years as a MSU Extension Agent and I’m so thankful for the amazing Gallatin 4-H youth, families, and my awesome office crew who make this work so meaningful. I also have the opportunity to be serving as our current President and Member Recognition Chair for our Montana Association of 4-H Professionals and I am grateful to be surrounded by an incredible network of colleagues who inspire me every day with their passion, creativity, encouragement and heart for youth!"
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Gallatin County 4-H Marketplace
Our 4-H Office has created a private Facebook Group to be a space for Gallatin 4-H members and families to give away, buy, sell or trade project-related items. Whether you’re looking for supplies, equipment, show clothes, animals or gently-used gear, this group helps connect our 4-H community in a safe and supportive way.
Join Group here:
Group Guidelines:
- Posts must be 4-H or project related
- Be respectful and honest in all transactions
- Buyers and sellers must coordinate their own arrangements
- No fundraising or non-4-H sales
- Admins reserve the right to remove posts that don’t meet guidelines
Thanks for helping keep this group helpful and positive for all our 4-H families!
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Tractor Supply Paper Clover Program
Support Gallatin County 4-H and Montana 4-H during the Tractor Supply Winter Paper Clover ProgramCustomers can purchase a paper clover for $1 at the register at any Tractor Supply store during November 28 - December 14, 2025.
🍀🍀🍀
4-H receives 100% of the funds; 10% is kept at National 4-H, 20% is kept by the Montana 4-H Foundation, Inc., and 70% is sent to the county that has a Tractor Supply Store - and Gallatin County now has a store! We appreciate any and all support at our local store during the campaign! |
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4-H Murdoch's Gift Wrapping Fundraiser
We know the holiday season is busy, but we need your help! Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply has offered Gallatin 4-H a QUICK & EASY Fundraising opportunity! Murdochs is in need of gift wrappers leading up to the holidays.
The wrapping service is offered at the front of the store free to customers, but tips/donations are welcomed as ALL tips/donations during that shift go directly to the group that is working the wrapping station. 100% of the donation/tip money received would go to the 4-H Project or Club of your choosing. If you are able to spare a couple hours, please sign up to help raise money for your Club/Project! ALL AGES WELCOME!
**Adults, if any of you are certified 4-H volunteers and could spare your time for a shift as well to supervise the 4-H members and manage the tips, that would be much appreciated – just add yourself to the sign up in the appropriate “Certified Volunteer” slot!
Break out your best wrapping skills, have some fun with your fellow 4-Hers this holiday season! Please review the available slots AND LOCATIONS and click on the button to sign up.
Gift Wrapping SignUp: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-60754552-gift#/
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Help Raise Money for your 4-H Project or Club
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 2025-2026 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!
2025-2026 MSU Concessions Fundraising SignUp:
Fundraising: 4-H Concessions Fundraising Opportunities
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
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Montana 4-H Virtual Leadership Academy
We invite 4-H youth,
ages 11–14, to join the upcoming Montana 4-H Virtual Leadership Academy Series - a fun and interactive training designed to help young members build foundational leadership skills that will support them throughout their 4-H journey. Through interactive virtual sessions, small-group discussions, and practical skill-building, participants will learn what it means to be a positive, helpful, and engaged leader.
This series is a great fit for youth who are:
- Curious about leadership
- Looking to grow their confidence, communication skills, and ability to work with others
- Interested in becoming a club officer someday
- Thinking about future roles like 4-H Camp Counselor, County Teen Leader, or 4-H Ambassador
- Or simply aren’t quite old enough to participate in teen-level 4-H leadership opportunities
We’re excited to kick off the 2025–2026 Montana 4-H Leadership Academy with our first workshop this Sunday, December 7, from 6:00–7:00 PM online on ZOOM! Participants can join from the comfort of their own home, or get together in small groups to participate in the Zoom session together. However you can join, we would love to see you on “the Zoom”! Each session is led by the Montana 4-H State Officer Team and advisors, who will share topics that have helped them grow as leaders.
How to Participate:
Register here: Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions to receive the Zoom link for the full workshop series. The Zoom link for all five workshops will be emailed automatically once the form is submitted.
December 7th Workshop:
Understanding Yourself as a Leader
Members will explore their personal strengths, identify growth areas, and learn how self-awareness can make them stronger, more confident leaders.
Upcoming Workshop Topics:
January 11:
Planning and Running a Project
February 8:
Having a Growth Mindset
March 8:
Motivating and Inspiring Peers
April 12:
Decision Making
We hope to see you on Sunday for a great start to this year’s Leadership Academy!
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4-H Club Officer Training
If you are a current Club Officer, we invite you to attend this training to help you navigate your officer role and bond as a team. We encourage your whole Club Officer team and any supporting roles (i.e. Recreation leaders) to attend to learn together! Our new 2025-2026 4-H County Ambassador Team is hard at work planning some new, fun and engaging content for you all.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 5:30pm-8pm (location TBD - will be announced via email in December) |
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Upcoming County Workshops
Youth
Winter Workshop - Wednesday, January 7, 2026 from 5:30pm - 8pm (location TBD)
- We encourage ALL Gallatin 4-H youth members (both new and returning) to attend. This will be the first county-wide record book training of the year, a great opportunity to learn parliamentary procedure and learn how to get involved in upcoming county events and contests!
Winter Volunteer Training Series - Leadership development opportunities for ANY and ALL certified 4-H Volunteers and 4-H parents/adults.
- These workshops will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6pm-8pm at our 4-H Extension Office; January 14, January 21, January 28 and February 4. We encourage you to attend all four training nights, or you may pick and choose based on what you feel would best help you as a volunteer. We are bringing in external facilitators that are well versed in these training topics to ensure your time is well spent.
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2025-2026 Gallatin 4-H County Contests
We have THREE upcoming County Contests. ALL 4-H members are highly encouraged to participate, but not required.
Communications Day Contest (Fri. February 27)
Better Batter Baking Contest (Sat. February 28 morning)
Stir-Ups Cooking Contest (Sat. February 28 afternoon)
*You do not need to be enrolled in the Cooking or Baking projects to participate in either of the Foods Contests
More information, contest scoring rubrics and registration links will be emailed out later in December & January.
Registration for 2026 County Contests will open January 1st on ZSuite! Please note: contest timeslots are subject to change based on number of registrations received. |
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SAVE THE DATE: 2026 Montana 4-H
Rec Lab
March 27-29th, 2026 in Columbus, MT
What is Rec Lab? “Rec Lab” stands for Recreation Lab and means that everything at this Montana 4-H state event is hands-on and fun! This event provides an opportunity for youth to enhance their leadership, communication and team building skills in an action-packed and interactive setting. Rec Lab programming is designed to provide participants with tips and tricks for being a better club, camp and community leader.
Montana 4-H Rec Lab is open to youth 13+ years old (age as of Oct. 1st, 2025). This event is ideal for younger senior members to attend as a first-time state event. It allows them to form relationships with 4-H peers from across the state, broaden their skills, and widen their network. The event has a camp feel because everything will take place in one school or location! Participants will bring air mattresses and sleeping bags to sleep on the gym floor, and attend workshops all together in the school and join lots of social and fun activities.
Registration will be through ZSuite and is set to open in February and the cost is typically around $100 per person. Participants will have the opportunity to pick from a list of workshops during registration.
Volunteers: The idea of sleeping on an air mattress in a school gym may not be your idea of a fun weekend, but this is a great event for you too! The program is conducive to meeting people from around the state and exchanging ideas. You are sure to gain some great info and bring home motivated youth leaders.
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LOOKING AHEAD:
Check out the
"4-H Year at a Glance" Calendar for the upcoming 2025-2026 4-H Year HERE
Our Gallatin 4-H BAND app has ALL 4-H meetings/events listed in one place in the calendar tool (Join BAND here)
NOVEMBER 27- DECEMBER 2 National 4-H Congress (Atlanta, GA)
DECEMBER 2 ULC Committee Meeting
DECEMBER 3-4 Camp Counselor Interviews
DECEMBER 5-6 Montana 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Training (Belgrade)
DECEMBER 6 MSU Concessions Fundraiser - Football Playoffs (see SignUp above)
DECEMBER 12 MSU Concessions Fundraiser - Commencement (see SignUp above)
DECEMBER 12-13 County Ambassador Team Retreat
DECEMBER 17 Club Officer Training (see post above)
DECEMBER 23 Newsletter Blurbs DUE
DECEMBER 23-26 OFFICE CLOSED (Christmas)
DECEMBER 31-JANUARY 1 OFFICE CLOSED (New Year's Eve/Day)
See December Committee, Club and Project updates in sections below.
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UNLIMITED LEADERS COUNCIL (ULC)
The primary purpose of the Unlimited Leaders Council (ULC) is to provide guidance and assistance to the county Extension staff in planning and conducting educational programs. Gallatin County Unlimited Leaders Council is the governing body of Gallatin County 4-H and all the committees within the county 4-H program.
ULC meets the first Tuesday of every month, with our next meeting on
December 2nd at 6pm at the Extension Office.
🦃 November has left us with so much to be thankful for! Here are the highlights from the November ULC meeting:
👢 We kicked off the meeting by sharing our favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Molly shared with us a new Parli Pro guide and we were able to utilize some new protocol for the meeting! See, kids... even the adults are learning great new habits!
📊 Minutes were approved as read and Colyn was with us to give us an in-depth financial report and answer questions.
📈 Our county growth is off the charts! Molly reported 130 registered volunteers and 563 active youth members!!
🛩️ Molly discussed her travels to NAE4-HYDP and was so excited to share many new things to be implemented in Gallatin County.
Old Business:
🐴 The Bozeman Stampede has their generous donation ready for pick-up. Clubs and projects that had members volunteer for the Stampede should see those payouts in their bank accounts soon!
🐄 The Hay Bale Contest for National 4-H Week was a hit and everyone enjoyed the social media voting platform.
✅ Goal Setting: Goals were reviewed from last year. One discussion centered around encouraging/tracking/utilizing the month of April for a higher level of community service by Clubs. It was also noted that the Members at Large is a very large group, and we are always looking for ways to incorporate them in county-wide activities and how they can serve their communities. Additional record book and record keeping recognition was also discussed. Another potential goal was developing mentorship between Juniors and Teen Ambassadors and creating more social activities for the Jr/Intermediate members.
New Business:
🍀 Subcommittees were reviewed and Ashley Casto was added to the Record Book committee.
🥳 Fall leadership training was held in Butte in November and 17 teens were registered to attend!
👕 Molly has 4-H merchandise and apparel in the works and a website should be available soon for purchases. These items also make great thank you gifts for your project or club to give to guest speakers, judges, etc.
🤩 The leaders took part in a brief training from Molly on implementing engaging meetings. We learned how to differentiate between the needs of different age groups to keep them on track during 4-H business meetings. We were also reminded to utilize "Reflection" to discover what members are learning in their 4-H journey.
Committees:
🚀 Committees are ramping up for training of new volunteers, ambassadors, and new club officers. The dates for County Contests have been set and leaders are working on themes. The summer camp committee and counselors will be gearing up for launch!
🗓️ The next ULC meeting will be Tuesday, Dec 2nd with festive attire required. 😄 It will also be the yearly potluck.
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MARKET LIVESTOCK COMMITTEE (MLC)
The purpose of the Market Livestock Committee is to develop and promote all market livestock projects (Beef, Sheep, Swine, Goat, Rabbit, and Poultry) in 4-H and FFA on a county-wide basis, with support offered to non-market projects as well (Dairy Cow, Dairy Goat, Horse, Breed/Breeding projects).They provide members the educational experience and support to responsibly raise, care for, and sell their 4-H/FFA market animals; organize & facilitate the Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Market Sale; create and enforce the FairBook Rules specific to all livestock species; and work together as a committee to set and enforce the standard for all livestock projects.
Our next committee meeting will be Monday, January 12th at 6pm at the Extension Office. |
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GALLATIN 4-H FOUNDATION, INC.
The mission of the Gallatin 4-H Foundation is to aid and promote, by financial assistance and support, all types of 4-H Programs and other Extension Youth Programs.
Meetings occur quarterly and/or when needed, usually on the 4th Thursday at 6pm at the 4-H Office.
There will be NO meeting in December – in years past we have met in early December to draft our budget but if we are already meeting so late in November, I’d hate to meet back-to-back and request extra time from you all in such a busy holiday month.
We will no longer have a combined Annual Meeting with ULC in early January. At one point in time it may have been beneficial to meet this way for an annual update, but with how our committees function now, it is not as impactful (and you’ve probably noticed how chaotic it is every year with me running back and forth between the two conference rooms to tend to both committees).
- Instead, we will get back on track with our 4th Thursday of the month starting on Thursday, January 22nd, 2026
- Vote in our 2026 Budget
- Review/Revise Scholarship Packet for 2026
- Review/Revise Scholarship Review Rubric for 2026
- Discuss plans for 2026 Give Big
- Fundraising plans
Other meetings for 2026
- Thursday, April 23, 2026
- Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Thursday, August 27, 2026
- October/November/December 2026 – plans TBD
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Member At Large
New to 4-H? Not sure what club fits your style? Register for your projects under
“Member at Large” when completing your 4-H Enrollment Clubs page on ZSuite.
Participating in a specific 4-H club is not a requirement to participate in 4-H projects, but Clubs provide members a great opportunity to get more involved with their communities, leaders, and group activities.
We encourage members to join one of our clubs listed above!
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Dag Nabids Club
Meetings take place the second to last Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at the MSU Animal Bioscience Building on campus in Bozeman.
Thank you Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Elections Administrator for presenting on the election process at our November meeting!
On December 9th, please bring your small critters (geckos, hamsters, dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, etc) to visit the residents at Gallatin County Rest Home (1221 Durston Road in Bozeman). You are responsible for your pet - leash, harness, halters, carriers encouraged. 🐰🦎🐍🦮🐈🐐🐴
We will meet at 4pm in the lobby of the Gallatin County Rest Home. The Dag Nabids will hand out one candy cane to each resident. This will be a 1 hour event - residents eat dinner at 5pm.
If you have a 100-300 piece puzzle (prefer bigger puzzle pieces 🧩) or would like to purchase one the Gallatin County Rest Home accepts puzzle donations.
Tentative Meeting Schedule:
- January 20, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- March – Typically there isn’t a meeting in March due to the timing of Spring Break which is also this week. However, in lieu of a meeting this month a community service project may be coordinated.
- April 21, 2026
- May 19, 2026
- June – TBD based on members availability
- July – No meeting - FAIR
- August – No meeting
- September 22, 2026
Questions, contact a leader!
Belinda Nash (406) 570-5585 nashmuffin@aol.com
Monika Johnson (406) 579-3211 mijmontana@gmail.com
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Hyalite Hawks Club
Hello Hyalite Hawks members!
I wanted to reach out and let you know that I will be leading the Hyalite Hawks 4-H Club this year. We are a small club, but I would love to see our club grow over the next few years at Anderson School. We currently have a total of 7 members (5 families) enrolled. This is the absolute minimum that is required to qualify as an active club. If you have other friends that are interested in joining 4H or are not currently part of a club, ie Member at Large, please have them consider joining us! The deadline to register for 4H is January 15, 2026.
Monthly club meetings are meant to provide a sense of belonging (fun with friends), learning or improving a skill, making club decisions as a group and providing service to others.
I would love your input on whether your family would prefer meeting once a month on a Wednesday after school or on a weekend. We are able to meet at Anderson school, which is convenient for most of us.
Please let me know what works best for your family and if you have other thoughts or ideas of how to keep our kids engaged in this great program.
- Kirsten Drake (Morgan and Gavin Meyer)
(406) 945-2290
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Four Corners/Gallatin Gateway Area Clubs |
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Gateway Challengers Club
Meetings take place the second Monday of each month at the Gallatin Gateway Community Center (145 Mill St., Gateway) from 6:30- 8:00 p.m.
Monday, December 8, is our regular meeting (seance Monday of the month) and also our Christmas Party!!!
We hope you can join us at 6:30 p.m. at the Gateway Community Center on Mill Street., right across from Gateway School. In fact, if you can try to come at 6:15 p.m. this month, that would be even better so we can have more time to celebrate! The plan is to be done at 8:00 p.m., and we will try to stick to that.
For the party please bring:
1)Potluck food item (You pick main dish, side dish, or dessert, etc.)—one per family, enough to feed your family, store bought or homemade, whatever is easiest for you
2) White Elephant gift for our exchange ($10-15 price range, wrapped, try to make it sort of gender neutral, if possible)
Our gift exchange is the highlight of of our party, and please remember to bring a gift, if you want to be part of the exchange, so one per 4-H member in your family.
There is no signup genius this month, but please text me if you’re unable to come, thanks!! [Jessica 406-539-0940]
For a community service activity, as well as a Christmas activity at our party, we will be filling out Christmas cards for the residents of High Gate Senior Living in Bozeman. They have 130 residents, so we are going to need all hands on deck to get these filled out at our party! The cards will be delivered to High Gate later in December. So everyone come ready to write! We’ll have all you need and lots of help to have everyone fill out a few.
I am attaching our club expectations again and our yearly plan, as well as our club meal signup, in case you didn’t get to see those items yet. Our next regular meeting will be Monday, January 12, and we hope to cover record books and goal setting, as well as introduce our demonstration speeches. Last month we had fun learning about parliamentary procedure, and we had three 4-H teen ambassadors who did an awesome job leading us in a special candy salad activity where we learned more about making motions and speaking at a business meeting. It was really fun and the ambassadors were wonderful!
If we haven’t met you at club yet, we hope you can join us soon, and please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns!
Questions? Contact Jessica at 406-539-0940 or theblacksmail@gmail.com.
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Ora Et Labora 4-H Club
Meetings take place the second Friday of each month at 6:00pm at Divine Mercy Academy school in Belgrade.
For our October meeting, Ora et Labora held our annual elections for Officer Positions! We also put together our two committees: Fundraising and Community Service.
Congratulations to our 2025-2026 Club Officer Team: Emma, Lucia, Kaisa, Josie, Reed, Rose and Edith!
Our next meeting will be Friday, December 19th @ 6pm, in the Cafeteria of Divine Mercy Academy in Belgrade! Please bring a wrapped ornament for our annual Christmas Ornament Exchange! There will be lots of treats and fun games planned!
(Please note the date...rather than our usual 2nd Friday of the Month, it's the THIRD Friday, due to another event happening in our usual space on the 2nd Friday!)
For any questions, please contact Leaders Ashley Casto or Tia Mitchell:
We generally communicate via Band- https://band.us/n/abadA6zb5cD0u
You can also reach us via email @ oraetlabora4h@gmail.com
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Pass Creek Club
Meetings take place on the first Sunday of each month at 4:00pm at Springhill Church in Belgrade.
This Club is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
During the Pass Creek November meeting, our members made Christmas cards that will be given to a senior center. We continued our meeting by discussing our December meeting in which we will be shopping for the Salvation Army’s "Adopt a Family" program. Later we elected our officers. Congratulations to all our members that were elected into our 2025-2026 office!
For any questions, please contact Cassie Smieja: smiejahay@latmt.com
406-539-3833
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Shining Mountaineers Club
Meetings will take place on the second Monday of each month from 6:00-8:00pm at the 161 W. Madison Ave, Belgrade.
Our club voted not to help set up the holidays lights with the Belgrade Coalition. You can volunteer on your own if you'd like. Heres the link: https://signup.com/go/umymiKn
Our Teens gave a report on the teen leadership seminar they had in Butte. They said they learned a lot about marketing, had a really fun dance and the food was amazing. If you are 14 and older, please consider going next year!
The Gallatin History Museum has offered to give us a presentation. They did give us a few contacts for our all club meeting and help to find older members.
December 8th is our Christmas Party Potluck. Please use the sign up genius and bring something: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E084CACA92BA2F94-60712341-christmas
We will be making ornaments, signing christmas cards and doing a white elephant gift. Please limit it to $10 and make it gender neutral.
Make sure you join our Band here: https://band.us/n/aeabA2c98bT3B
Join Gallatin County Band here: https://band.us/n/acac88E875306
If you'd like to join Shining Mountaineers, please reach out to Lindsey Klebenow through email at shiningmountaineers@gmail.com or
406-551-3841.
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Dry Creek Teens Club
Meetings take place on the first Monday of each month at 6:30pm at the Bridge Church in Manhattan.
The votes are in! Meet your Club Officers for this 4-H year:
👑 President - Emma B
💼 VP - Gavin G
📝 Secretary - Natalie S
💰 Treasurer - Tyson P
New Years Party Committee started: Gavin, Tyson, Colt (seeking more members)
Christmas Stroll Fundraiser 12/12: hot cocoa & baked sale to raise funds for a Holiday Giving Project (TBD) - also voted to utilize $300 of the club funds to use if-needed.
Check out the Dry Creek Teens BAND profile for meeting updates and events: https://band.us/n/a8a6A30dS9f0u
If you have questions, please contact Kelly Pavlik 406-600-1016 or via email kelly.pavlik@barnard-inc.com
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Gallatin Valley Livestock Club
Contact leader for meeting dates, times and locations.
Welcome back to the new 4-H year, everyone! We are excited to get our group back together and kick the year off strong. We have lot's of new members representing a good variety of the great livestock projects offered throughout the county.
Our first meeting of the year will be on Monday, December 15th at 6pm. We will continue to meet at Manhattan Bank in Churchill. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any question or if we can help with anything. Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon on Monday, December 15th.
If you have questions, please contact
Jeff Sposito jffsposito9@gmail.com
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Manhattan Clever Clovers Club
Meetings take place on the second Monday of each month at 6:00pm at the Bridge Church in Manhattan.
Congratulations to our newly elected officiers:
Natasha - President
Declan - Vice President
Elena - Secretary
Van Sebring - Treasurer
We'll have an induction ceremony at the December 8 meeting.
The candidates had some fantastic ideas for Club activities. As a Club, if we can all think about ideas for:
1) community service projects,
2) donating Club funds (possibly the Bridge Church who graciously host us, or the Presbyterian Church for gift money for their Christmas food and present boxes, for example),
3) (bigger) fun outing (like skiing or zipline, for example), and
4) field trips (like to the Townsend glassblowing place or a local Nursery, for example).
We will plan on discussing #1 and #2 at the December 8 Meeting, then voting on them in the January 12 meeting. We will discuss #3 and #4 at the January 12 Meeting and vote at the February 9 Meeting.
For any questions, please contact
Sarah Simser (406) 580-4730 erring@gmail.com
Rebecca Etchison (406) 595-9600 etch898@yahoo.com
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Clarkston Mustangs Club
Meetings take place on the third Monday of each month at 6:30pm - locations will vary.
For any questions, please contact Cassandra Mitchell:
cassyjh@hotmail.com
406-223-0146
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Willow Creek Wranglers Club
Contact leader for meeting dates, times and locations.
For any questions, please contact Sam Cavin at 599-8288 sjcavin@msn.com
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2025-2026 4-H Projects
(Categorized by "Indoor Projects" or "Animal Projects", then listed alphabetically) |
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AMBASSADORS / TEEN LEADERSHIP
I want to get a jump on ordering/updating our Ambassador Team jackets this year so we have them as soon as possible and hopefully in time to wear them at our Winter programming.
*If you are a RETURNING Ambassador, please
WASH your current ambassador jacket and drop it off at my office as soon as possible so I can go get “2025” added to the list of years the front of your jackets.
**If you are a NEW Ambassador, please email me your size (for a black, zip-up, weather-resistant jacket) so I can get your jacket ordered and embroidered. We started doing this with our Team last year – they will say “Gallatin County 4-H Ambassador” across the back, our Ambassador logo on the front left chest with the years you’ve served as an Ambassador listed underneath and your name is embroidered on the front right chest. Our Teen Leadership account will cover the cost for you!
2025 Ambassador Team Overnight Retreat: December 12th – 13th, 2025 (AirBnb at 35 Jackpot Ln., in Belgrade)
- Plan to arrive by 2pm on Friday, December 12th and we should wrap up around 12pm on Saturday, December 13th. Please RSVP on our BAND post (https://band.us/band/77822399/post/328) - the goal is to have all, if not the majority of Ambassadors attend to maximize group productivity and alignment. November 21-22 didn’t work for the majority and we realized the weekend of Dec 5-6 is the Belgrade Christmas Convoy, Bozeman Christmas Stroll, and other community/4-H activities.
Teen Leadership Project meeting dates - As an Ambassador you will also participate in the Teen Leadership Project - ADD these to your calendars now (subject to change based on guest speaker availability and/or content schedule)
- Monday, December 15th at 6pm - Please RSVP on BAND as I have a guest speaker, Kari Lewis (Glacier County Extension Agent) and some of her 4-H teens, joining us for the first hour of the meeting to present on Leadership Projects - DON'T MISS OUT!!
- Monday, January 19th at 6pm
- Monday, February 2nd at 6pm *note date change
- Wednesday, March 4th at 6pm
- Wednesday, April 22nd at 6pm
- May & June TBD
County-wide Activities – teens will be helping plan, facilitate/teach activities at these events, please add to your calendars now and we will assign duties/tasks at our meetings
- Wednesday, December 17th 5:30pm – Club Officer Training
- Wednesday, January 7th 5:30pm – Youth Winter Workshop
- Wednesday, February 18th 5:30pm – Animal Quality Assurance Workshop #1
- Tuesday, March 10th at 6pm – County Contest Awards Night
- Saturday, March 21st 8:30am – Animal Quality Assurance Workshop #2
- Friday, March 27 - Sunday, March 29 - Montana 4-H Rec Lab (Columbus, MT)
- May 5-7th – Farm Fair
If you have any questions, please contact leader, 4-H Agent Molly Yurdana
molly.yurdana@montana.edu or text 530-613-9908
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BABYSITTING PROJECT *new project in 2025-2026!
*This Project will be capped at 25 youth members. Youth members must be at least 11 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
Please Note: In order to earn the official Babysitting Training Certificate, members cannot miss more than 2 meetings.
This project curriculum familiarizes youth with the responsibilities of babysitting and provides the necessary information for them to become capable, caring, trustworthy and competent sitters. They will learn how to keep children safe and happy, talk with parents and adults, make responsible decisions and handle emergencies (CPR, nutrition, handling children, and more)!
At our November meeting we learned all about what it takes to be a babysitter, characteristics of a babysitter, what made babysitters fun and enjoyable and we did two phone interviews with Moms about what they look for in a babysitter or mother's helper. We also reviewed record books and possible fair projects.
This project will meet the second Wednesday of each month from 6:00pm-7:30pm (November-May) at the 4-H Office.
T
he December meeting will be Wednesday the 10th.
I will plan to send an e-mail the Sunday or Monday before each meeting as a reminder and will include any requests for the participants to bring along (binder, markers, ideas etc:).
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BAKING PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
This project will meet the first Monday of each month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm (November - May) at the MSU Herrick Hall Food Lab Rm. #120 on campus.
Put these dates on your calendar for future meetings:
12/1/25
1/5/26
2/2/26
3/2/26
4/6/26
5/4/26
If you do not catch the emails that are sent after each meeting with a lot of important information, please let us know!
If you have any questions, please contact Erin at
(ehagmeier@gmail.com email) or text 406-431-7205
Project Leaders (Baking is our bread and butter!):
Erin Neil
Katie Taylor
Krista Pancich |
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CAKE DECORATING PROJECT *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
The Cake Decorating meeting WILL NOT be meeting in December. Meeting schedule for January-May will be sent via email to project members and posted in the January newsletter.
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CAMP COUNSELOR PROJECT
The 2025-2026 Camp Counselor Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, December 3rd and Thursday, December 4th. Double-check your interview signup date/time to ensure you arrive on time to the 4-H Office (903 N. Black Ave – please enter through the FRONT office door): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-58583068-camp#/
Next Steps:
- Review the updated Meeting Schedule attached – add those dates to your calendars
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Counselor Team Bonding Bowling Night TENTATIVELY scheduled for Friday, January 16th from 5:30pm-8:30pm at the MSU Rec Center on campus. Dinner/Refreshments will be provided.
- Our first Camp Counselor Meeting will be on SUNDAY, January 22nd from 1:00pm-4:00pm. We will go over program expectations, get to know our camp counselor team, engage in a Real Colors leadership training and select our 2026 Camp Theme!!
- Be sure to add our 2026 4-H Camp dates to your calendars NOW: 08/01/26 - 08/05/26 (counselors arrive on the afternoon of 8/1, youth campers arrive the morning of 8/2, everyone leaves mid-morning on 8/5).
- If you haven’t already, please join our Camp Counselor BAND group for the year: https://band.us/n/a0adAfK9oaMdO. We will post meeting reminders, polls and other information here frequently. Parents are usually the ones that receive our emails, but BAND allows the teens to subscribe to our group to stay connected and in the loop!
Co-directors Tiffany Togstad and 4-H Agent Molly are looking forward to a great year of counselor meetings and working with you all. If you have any questions, please contact me at molly.yurdana@montana.edu
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CLOVERBUD PROJECT (AGES 5-7) *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
The Cloverbud program is designed for youth ages 5-7 (age as of Oct. 1) and strives to develop age-appropriate skills and abilities by giving these young members the opportunity to explore various topics and activities in 4-H before becoming a regular youth member.
At our November meeting we did activities that were geared towards learning about natural resources. We focused on leaf identification, parts of a leaf and created a natural window to display our favorite leaves or made a fun picture out of the natural resources collected outside. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 16th at 5:30pm at the Fairgrounds in Exhibit Building #4. Please make sure to bring crayons/markers, scissors, glue to each meeting (just to be on the safe side). Be on the lookout for an email with what our December meeting will entail.
Cloverbud meetings for the 2025-2026 4-H Year will be on the 3rd Tuesday of each month (October - May) from 5:30pm-7pm held in the Exhibit Buildings on the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
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COOKING PROJECT *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
The Cooking Project meetings for the 2025-2026 4-H Year will be on the 3rd Tuesday of each month (Nov. - May) from 6:00pm-8pm held at the MSU Herrick Hall Food Lab #120 on MSU Campus.
The next meeting will be Tuesday, December 16th - we will be making Breakfast for Dinner!
A huge THANK YOU to Cosmic Pizza Belgrade for generously donating the dough and sauce for our Gallatin 4-H Cooking Project’s first meeting! Our members had a blast kicking off the year by making their own pizzas with our new project leader Ryley (Gallatin College Culinary Arts student), and your support helped make the workshop extra fun (and delicious)
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HORSELESS HORSE PROJECT
Haaaayyy there!
Thank you to all parents and members and the MSU Starting the Young Horse team for your flexibility for our November meeting. We were so fortunate to be able to move our meeting to the Animal BioScience building where MSU graduate students had unique games, candy prizes, and equine models for us to learn from. Members learned all about coat colors, face and leg markings, wrapping legs, and some bone structure. Thank you, MSU, for letting us utilize your resources!
It's time for our annual December party! We will be meeting on Wednesday, Dec 3rd from 6-8 pm in Building #4 at the Fairgrounds. Please wear good shoes for playing active games and bring an ag-related ornament (wrapped or bagged) for our ornament exchange.
As a reminder, we will be meeting at Murdoch's (N. 7th) on January 10th from 10am- 11:30am. This excursion will cover costs of owning a horse and some equine-related careers. This lesson is not in your book, but I am happy email you our worksheet if you can't attend.
See you soon!
Questions? Contact leader Sarah Capp at (406) 539-4386 or scapp9999@hotmail.com
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KNITTING/CROCHET PROJECTS
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
We will meet the second Saturday of the month at the Springs in Bozeman from 10:00 am until 12pm.
We had a fun time at our first meeting; getting to know one another, talking about and writing our goals, eating cookies, and working on knitting and crocheting projects from home.
At our next meeting we will start on your choice of Christmas ornament to knit or crochet. We will send an email about one week prior to the meeting with the patterns and videos attached and any supplies needed to bring. We hope to provide some supplies and will let you know what will be available. Also, bring your home projects and 4-H record/goals book to work on those as well. See you soon!
Next meeting: Saturday, December 13th from 10:00am-12:00pm at the Springs, 2632 Catron St.
Kim Hackl kimhackl@gmail.com 406-539-0802
Kate Newton katenewt17@gmail.com 406-451-8753
Bonnie Radke mt4hbonnie@gmail.com 406-219-6602
Phyllis Lewis 307-4312079 pblewis1943@gmail.com
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LEATHERCRAFT PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
I have received several requests for a make-up meeting or an additional December meeting. Traditionally, we do
not hold a leathercraft meeting in December due to the busy holiday season. However, I am willing to assess interest in hosting a meeting on December 20 in the Extension conference room for a couple of hours.
Please note that no new material will be covered during this session. The purpose of this meeting would be strictly for members who have missed earlier meetings and would like extra time to catch up. Attendance is
not required, as review is already built into each of our regular meetings.
I will schedule the December 20 meeting only if we have more than five confirmed attendees.
To make an informed decision, I need each family to respond to this email—yes or no—by November 30. If you respond “yes,” I will expect you or your child to attend, just as you would follow through after voting for an event at the club level. Please do not confirm attendance UNLESS you are certain you can be there.
Once all responses are collected, I will send out a final notice indicating whether the meeting will be held.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and I appreciate your cooperation.
Our regularly scheduled meetings will be the Saturday after the 3rd Thursday of each month except for December. I also have the occasional workshop that will be scheduled later and on days when travel is reasonable as I also travel from Wyoming as we are living between Belgrade and Wyoming right now.
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LIVESTOCK JUDGING PROJECT
*If you are already participating in Livestock Judging with FFA, please do not signup to participate/compete in this 4-H Project.
Greetings everyone. Livestock judging is in full swing and the teams have been doing very well at their competitions. It's nice to see everyone's hard work paying off.
We will continue to meet every Tuesday, with random farm visits mixed in, through the month of December. The farm visits will be communicated through email as they become available. Weekly meetings may vary slightly around the holiday and will also be communicated through email.
We would still love to have new members. If improving your livestock evaluation or public speaking skills is of interest to you, please sign up for this fun project. Enrollment closes on January 15th so get signed up before then. Please reach out with any questions you may have.
Please reach out with any questions you may have!
Cody and Amy Brownell
406-209-4183
Livestockjudging_cody@yahoo.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
The Photography Project will meet on the 4th Monday of each month at 6:00pm-7:30pm (October - June) at the 4-H Extension Office.
BAND APP: https://band.us/n/a0a9AcM794fcI
Please join the PHOTOGRAPHY BAND on the app before you come. This is separate from the County 4-H BAND - same app just different BAND.
You may RSVP fo the meeting through BAND and upload any photos.
Tamara Knappenberger
c. (307)214-8336 (text)
tkknappenberger@gmail.com
or message me in BAND
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QUILTING PROJECT
Youth members must be at least 10 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
You did a great job with your potholders at our last Saturday meeting. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, December 3rd at the Middle School in Manhattan (Tiger Den - Room 1303), from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. We will finish our potholders. You will learn how to do the binding. If we have time to start our next project, it will be the table runner I showed you. You will need 4 coordinating fat quarters plus one neutral colored fat quarter, or scraps of those five prints, at least 18 x 21 inches in size. Be sure to bring your supplies, including an extension cord. PLEASE RSVP to me if you are able to come or not (406.581.6843)
Our December Saturday meeting, originally scheduled for December 13th has been CANCELED. I am sorry to do this, but I have a conflict. As busy as December is, it is impossible to find a make-up time, so we will just stick with our one meeting on December 3rd. You can use the extra time to work on your project book and make sure your record book is up to date.
Since we only have one meeting in December, I hope that all of you are able to come.
Happy quilting and see you soon.
If you have questions, please call or text me at 406.581.6843.
Ginny Francis, Quilting Project Leader
ginnyfrancis@yahoo.com
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SEWING PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
The sewing members jumped into the holiday spirit at our last meeting. We had a great time making some very creative Christmas tree and star pillows.
Our next meeting will be December 9th from 5:00 to 7:00. This meeting is for level 1 and level 2 sewers. We will be making fleece hats and ear-warmers. Fabric will be supplied, but please bring your own sewing machine, if you have one.
This project will meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 5pm-7pm at the RevivALL Clothing studio at 2105 Lea Ave, Unit A in Bozeman.
Questions? Contact leader Laura Fisher
howdy@revivallclothing.com
RevivALL Clothing
2105 Lea Ave, Unit A.
www.revivallclothing.com
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ARCHERY PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 9 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
Forms:
**The following documents MUST be completed and submitted BEFORE the participant may shoot. Upon completion, the 4-H office will provide the forms to the project leaders to have on file for each discipline at the respective shooting locations.
- Informed Consent
- Medical Release
- Please fill out and sign both through Docusign here: Docusign
December 7th is a MANDATORY safety meeting for all 1st and 2nd year 4H archery shooters and their parent(s). It will be from 2:00-3:30pm at Big Sky Archery (in the basement of the facility. Please have your informed consent and medical release forms complete by this date.
Sunday December 14, 2025 will be the first date for shooting and all 4-H archers.
Location will be held at Big Sky Archery, 77 Laura Louise Lane located at the intersection of Baxter Lane and Jackrabbit Lane on Sundays from 1:00 – 5:00 pm (in the basement of the facility. There are not many chairs, so if you as a parent want to stick around please plan accordingly.
Schedule:
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Archery - Big Sky Archery - Sundays
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Date
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Program
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Time
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12/7/2025
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Safety/Parent meeting
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2:00-3:30
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12/14/2025
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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12/21/2025
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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12/28/2025
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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1/4/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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1/11/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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1/18/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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1/25/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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2/1/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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2/8/2026
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off
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off
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2/15/2026
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Fair shoot
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1:00-5:00
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2/22/2026
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Fair Shoot
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1:00-5:00
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3/1/2026
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Shooting
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1:00-5:00
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3/6-3/8/2026
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State Shoot
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TBD
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3/15/2026
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Fun Shoot
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TBD
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Please sign up for a shooting slot here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C48A4A72DABFF2-60641075-202526
Please show up about 15 minutes before your selected time and then you'll be ready to take the line at the top of the hour.
Parent Volunteers:
Randy Radke, Brian Marassi, Mike Prester, Travis Earl, Jake Noonan and Paul Smart are the current co-archery leaders. We are hoping to get a couple of other volunteers trained in December. Anyone who would like to help facilitate please reach out to Randy at gv4harchery@gmail.com.
We need both volunteers that can help:
- Shooting and running the line
- 4-H record books, 4-H leadership and general help
- Organizing/Planning and running the state archery shoot the first weekend of March.
- Computer/spreadsheet help
If you are new to the project, don’t worry about archery equipment at this time, 4H has plenty of bows to get you started. If you are a continuing shooter, keep practicing and we’ll see everyone in December.
Big Sky Archery - Sundays
| Date |
Program |
Time |
| 12/7/2025 |
Safety/Parent Meeting (1st-2nd years only) |
2:00-3:30 |
| 12/14/2025 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 12/21/2025 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 12/28/2025 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 1/4/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 1/11/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 1/18/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 1/25/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 2/1/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 2/8/2026 |
Shooting |
1:00-5:00 |
| 2/15/2026 |
Fair Shoot |
1:00-5:00 |
| 2/22/2026 |
Fair Shoot |
1:00-5:00 |
| 3/1/2026 |
Fair Shoot |
1:00-5:00 |
| 3/6-3/8/2026 |
State Shoot |
TBD |
| 3/15/2026 |
Awards and Fun Shoot |
TBD |
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AIR RIFLE & AIR PISTOL PROJECTS
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 9 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
The venue for air rifle and air pistol is located at 123 Doe Road in Belgrade. The season will begin on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, with a
MANDATORY safety and organizational meeting at 6:00pm. For more information contact Lee Nelson – 579-0612.
Gallatin Sharpshooters - Wednesdays
| Date |
Program |
Time |
| 12/3/2025 |
Safety and Organizational Meeting |
6:00-8:00 |
| 12/10/2025 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 12/17/2025 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 1/7/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 1/14/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 1/21/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 1/28/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 2/4/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 2/11/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 2/18/2026 |
Shooting |
6:00 -8:00 |
| 2/25/2026 |
Fair Shoot |
6:00-8:00 |
| 3/4/2026 |
Fair Shoot |
6:00-8:00 |
| 3/6-3/8/2026 |
State Match |
TBD |
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SMALL BORE RIFLE/PISTOL PROJECT
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 10 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate. It is a pre-requisite that the shooters have 1 year of Shooting Sports Experience.
Smallbore Rifle/Pistol will start at Greenway Range on Monday, December 8, 2025, from 5:00 – 6:30. The day for shooting will be selected by the shooters and parents during the county-wide parent meeting.
Greenway Range is located at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 North Black in Bozeman. The number of smallbore shooters will be capped at 25. The returning shooters will be given priority. It is a pre-requisite that the shooters have 1 year of Shooting Sports Experience. We will then establish a waiting list. For more information contact Scott Francis – 581-6845 or Tom Everett – 570-8878
Small Bore - Mondays (schedule subject to change based on number of shooters)
| Date |
Program |
Time |
| 12/8/2025 |
Organizational Meeting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 12/15/2025 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/5/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/12/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/19/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/26/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/2/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/9/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/16/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/23/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 3/2/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 3/7/2026 |
State Match |
8:00 - 4:00 |
|
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| Small Bore - Fridays (schedule subject to change based on number of shooters) |
|
| Date |
Program |
Time |
| 12/8/2025 |
Organizational Meeting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 12/12/2025 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/2/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/9/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/16/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/23/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 1/30/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/6/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/13/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/20/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 2/27/2026 |
Shooting |
5:00 - 6:30 |
| 3/7/2026 |
State Match |
8:00 - 4:00 |
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SHOTGUN PROJECT
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 10 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
Shotgun will start on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 1:00 pm at Manhattan Wildlife Association Trap Range located at 337 Logan Trident Road in Logan. There will be a mandatory parent and safety meeting prior to shooting. All shooters need to attend. It is strongly recommended that the participant be 10 years of age. For more information contact Scott Francis – 581-6845.
Shotgun - Manhattan Wildlife Association (Logan) - Sundays
| Date |
Program |
Time |
| 1/4/2026 |
Safety Meeting & Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 1/11/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 1/18/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 1/25/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 2/1/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 2/8/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 2/15/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 2/22/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 3/1/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 3/8/2026 |
Trap Shooting & State Shoot |
1:00-3:00 |
| 3/15/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 3/22/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 3/29/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 4/5/2026 |
No Shooting - Easter |
1:00-3:00 |
| 4/12/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 4/19/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| 4/26/2026 |
Trap Shooting |
1:00-3:00 |
| |
Skeet & Sporting Clays TBD |
|
| |
Competitions TBD |
|
For more information contact Scott Francis – 581-6845.
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MUZZLE-LOADING & HUNTING SKILLS PROJECT
It is recommended but not required that the participants be at least 12 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) and have been in Hunter’s Education.
The Muzzle-loading Project will be determined later in the shooting season. The Hunting & Wildlife Project will be determined later in the year. Please check the newsletter for days and times. It is recommended but not required that the participants be 12 years of age and have been in Hunter’s Education
Contact Scott Francis – 581-6845 for more information.
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WESTERN HERITAGE PROJECT *new leader in 2025-2026!
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 9 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
Western Heritage -
Monday – April 13, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – April 27, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – May 4, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – May 11, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – May 18, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – June 1, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – June 8, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – June 15, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – June 22, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – June 29, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – July 6, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – July 13, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
Monday – July 20, 2026 – 2 bays, 5:30 – 8:30
National Shoot – Columbia, Missouri - TBD
State Shoot – Simms, Montana - TBD
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VET SCIENCE PROJECT
🐾 Exciting Updates in 4-H Vet Science!
This year, Vet Science is rolling out a dynamic new “pop-up” format designed to bring fresh energy and flexibility to the program. Members can look forward to a variety of hands-on and immersive experiences throughout the 4-H calendar year, thanks to exciting collaborations with local veterinarians, animal facilities, MSU, and 4-H animal projects.
Whether you're a returning member seeking a deeper challenge or brand new to the field, this innovative approach offers something for everyone. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore the diverse world of veterinary science in real-world settings.
📅 Stay tuned for more details and dates—this is one journey you won’t want to miss
Questions? Contact Monika Johnson 406-579-3211 mijmontana@gmail.com
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BEEF PROJECT
**This Project (Market AND Breeding) is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 10 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
This year we are giving you December off to enjoy your families and all the events surrounding Christmas and the new year. Please be sure you’re working with your steers so you are ready for our January 11th weigh in a schedule will be sent to you with your time the first week of January.
Workshop dates for 2025-2026 - you are require at 3 to be eligible for fair! We will have more details (times, locations, etc.) as we get closer. But, this is what we are planning for as of now.
- January 11th ~ MANDATORY Weigh & Tag
- January 26th ~ Animal Health & Wellness
- February 11th ~ Meats Workshop
- March 30th ~ Record Books
- April 12th ~ MANDATORY Weigh-in and Safety/demonstration of control
- May 19th ~ Branding Education & Experience
- June 18th ~ PreFair Workshop
Our MANDATORY weigh in and tagging is January 11th, 2026 . This is the official start date with your steer. If you have an EXTREMELY serious conflict : for example - you have brain surgery, a tornado hit your house, or you’re at your sisters wedding in Dubai, your pet python has escaped and is trying to swallow you, we will CONSIDER a make up day but we will be only offering ONE date- we are giving plenty of time for you to make this a priority. This weigh-in DOES NOT count as a workshop
IF you would like to be notified about meetings and reminders you may text Annabel at 406-580-9003 to be added to our reminder system.
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
Questions? Contact the Beef Committee:
gallatinbeefproject@gmail.com
ANNABEL MORGAN 406-580-9003
KELLY PAVLIK 406-600-1016
MELANIE DUFFIN 406-209-1978
CRAIG DEBOER 406-570-3304 |
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CAT PROJECT
Hello Cat 4-H Project Families!
I just wanted to check in to see who is able to attend the December 3rd meeting. As I mentioned before, we have had low attendance over the holidays and I'm happy to postpone this meeting until Feb if we don't get enough interest as it does typically take some planning even for a shorter meeting. Please let me know asap! -Julie, 714-206-4636
Julie Oghigian DVM CVA
Cell (text is good too)- 714-206-4636
Alpenglow Veterinary Services, Inc
Montview Labradors www.montviewlabradors.com
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DAIRY COW PROJECT
Welcome to the dairy cow project for the new 4-H year! We will be kicking off our workshops in 2026 but until then members can begin working on their project activities in the workbooks. Any questions, please call either Shawna Oostema or Cassie Smieja! Happy holidays to everyone!
Questions? Contact leaders:
Shawna Oostema (406) 580-7819
Cassie Smieja (406) 539-3833.
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DOG OBEDIENCE PROJECT *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Hello Dog Obedience Members!
We are currently planning our December extra seminar so stay tuned for updates on that. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoys the fall before the snow starts to fly! As always if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!
For dog agility and dog obedience we will start our dog practices in the spring at Montana Murray Kennels at 25 Dollar Drive in Belgrade. I believe that both projects are going to be held on Wednesdays but I have yet settle on time/times until I have numbers. With that said it would be between 4 and 6pm I believe when the sessions would be. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me! I look forward to this new 4-H year!
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DOG AGILITY PROJECT
Hello Dog Agility Members,
We are currently planning our December extra seminar so stay tuned for updates on that. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoys the fall before the snow starts to fly! As always if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!
For dog agility and dog obedience we will start our dog practices in the spring at Montana Murray Kennels at 25 Dollar Drive in Belgrade. I believe that both projects are going to be held on Wednesdays but I have yet settle on time/times until I have numbers. With that said it would be between 4 and 6pm I believe when the sessions would be. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me! I look forward to this new 4-H year!
Jen Osler
406.388.4789 (work)
361.446.1209 (cell)
facility@montanamurraykennels.com
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DAIRY GOAT PROJECT
We will be having our Orientation Meeting December 8th 6:00pm at the 4-H office conference room. This is
EXTREMELY important for all to attend, we will be going over updates to our contract, expectations for the year and reviewing record book requirements. If you are going to have a problem with attending, please let us know ASAP!!! Pizza will be provided for this meeting.
The Goat Projects Committee will be offering 2 positions for Senior members to join our committee; you must be a Senior (in 4-H, 14 years as of Oct. 1st), have been in the Dairy or Market project for at least 2 years and able to attend committee meetings. If you are interested, please reach out and we will get you the application to submit.
Looking forward to seeing everyone and starting a exciting new project year!!! Any questions please reach out!
Questions? Contact a Dairy Goat Leader:
Lea’h MacDonald (406) 220-3556 lmk80@live.com
Rachel Colton (406) 548-1915
Cassandra Mitchell 406-223-0146
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MEAT GOAT PROJECT
We will be having our Orientation Meeting December 8th 6:00pm at the 4-H office conference room. This is
EXTREMELY important for all to attend, we will be going over updates to our contract, expectations for the year and reviewing record book requirements. If you are going to have a problem with attending, please let us know ASAP!!!!! Pizza will be provided for this meeting.
The Goat Projects Committee will be offering 2 positions for Senior members to join our committee; you must be a Senior (in 4-H, 14 years as of Oct. 1st), have been in the Dairy or Market project for at least 2 years and able to attend committee meetings. If you are interested, please reach out and we will get you the application to submit.
Looking forward to seeing everyone and starting a exciting new project year!!! Any questions please reach out!
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
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HORSE PROJECTS
Greetings Horse Members!
Due to a recent outbreak of EHV and EHM in several states including Montana, the horse project will not have any workshops this month involving horses. We encourage all horse owners to educate themselves about EHV and other highly infectious diseases by visiting
https://equinediseasecc.org/infectious-diseases or watching the attached webinar below.
Although the flu/rhino vaccine many of you received earlier in the month does lesson the severity of symptoms, it does not prevent horses from contracting the disease, so please be extra vigilant to quarantine any new horses or horses you have hauled recently, as symptoms can take up to 2 weeks to develop.
We are planning an educational seminar on equine nutrition and record books as well as a WRH roping (from the ground) practice for later this month, so please check your email for updates.
Thanks again to Dr. Tracy Schmitt, Headwaters Veterinary, Andi Shockley, and all the other volunteers who helped make our November clinic a huge success. For those of you who were unable to attend or who failed to pick up an introduction packet, please visit our website at www.gallatincounty4hhorse.com, and scroll to the bottom of the homepage to view the calendar and find links to the Horse Information Sheet as well as a link to the paperwork requirements. Please review this info and complete the paperwork requirements as soon as possible.
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POULTRY PROJECT - Market or Breed/Show
**This Project (Market AND Breed/Show) is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Happy December!
Thank you everyone for a great November workshop and for helping us get 2nd place in the food drive challenge for the food bank! I hope you have your new year goals determined and winterization done for your flocks!
Our next meeting will be on December 11, 2025 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Belgrade Middle School Cafeteria. We will be having our holiday party and annual pizza night. So come prepared to have fun and enjoy getting to know other 4-H poultry project members! A SignUp Genius will be sent out so help us determine the amount of pizza to purchase and for our poultry families to sign up on what yummy dessert or finger food they want to bring to share!
Mark your calendars for these upcoming meeting dates:
January 8, 2026—-Belgrade High School Commons Area 6:30 to 8:00pm—-mandatory meeting for all market poultry members
February 12, 2026—location TBD
March 12, 2026—location TBD
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
The 4-H Poultry Project Leader's Committee
Shawna Oostema: 406-580-7819, fcclashawna@hotmail.com
Judy Brownell: onebar4@aol.com
Judy Neiminen: 406-599-0639; lneiminen@gmail.com
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RABBIT PROJECT - Market or Breed/Pet
This project will meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6pm. There will be NO meeting in December. The next meeting will be Thursday, January 15th in the Exhibit Buildings on the Fairgrounds.
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
Questions?
Monica Samson 406-399-1866
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SHEEP PROJECT
**This Project (Market AND Breeding) is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Mark Your Calendars:
MANDATORY Sheep Project Orientation: Wednesday, January 7th at 6pm at the Gallatin 4-H Extension Office (903 N. Black Ave). If you are planning on being in the Sheep Project, we want to see you at this meeting! We will go over a lot of information on workshops and information you need for this year's project.
If you are unable to come to the Orientation, please reach out to one of the Sheep Project leaders.
Come prepared with all your questions!
Enjoy your holiday season!
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
Questions?
Jodi Smith - 406-580-2984 kjsmithhouse@yahoo.com
Jodilynn Kelley - 512-663-5569 jodilynnkelley08@gmail.com
Kim Flikkema - 406-599-1486 kimflikkema@gmail.com
Ruth Carr - 406-539-4337 kennellr@gmail.com
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SWINE PROJECT
Welcome to the 2026 Swine project! We are looking forward to another great year in Swine. Attached is our Welcome Letter for the year. Please read through it but here are some common
FAQs & additional information to get you started
:
Check out the complete 2026 Swine Project Welcome Letter
📅 When are the Swine Project Meetings? We do not meet regularly (same-day-each-month-type schedule) We will offer many opportunities for the youth to meet the 3-workshop requirements between now and June (typically 12-15 workshops are offered). Our Committee is finalizing the workshops soon and will issue an entire list so you can better plan your project.
⏳ What should we be doing right now to get ready?
⬜ Go by the Extension Office and pay your invoice to become fully registered in 4-H & pick up your Project Workbooks (if you're new to swine or are moving to the next level) as well as your Record Book forms.
⬜ Like Reminders via text? Register your cell phone (and any Members) for our Remind page. This app helps you stay in the loop! (we recently disabled the 2025 Remind so you must re-register for 2026) https://www.remind.com/join/2026swin or text @2026swin to 81010 and reply once with your name.
⬜ Look around for a source for your pigs, discuss your budget for purchasing, and make plans for building / improving your pen and shelter for your pigs in the spring. We've also attached the COOL Source Form that will help you decipher some of the information you'll need to gather when acquiring your pigs. LOTS more info to come on getting your project kicked off if you're new...but most pigs are born late December/January 1st and ready for their new homes mid-March/early-April. They will weigh 50-100 pounds at this point and in the following 90 days+, you'll raise them to be 220-290lbs.
💰 How can we help the Swine Project as a whole?
Fundraising! We raise funds as a group for all the awesome things we get to do!! For all of this, we would LOVE for you and your family to sign up for a MSU Game and/or Concert Concessions spot. It's a great fundraiser and it empowers the kids to contribute/help! You show up, sing in and the earnings are transferred through the 4-H Office.
If each swine family jumps in once, we will be in GREAT shape!
SignUp Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-48570182-fall#/
If you are enrolled in a 4-H/FFA livestock project and are planning to
show and/or
sell an animal at our Gallatin County 4-H/FFA Fair this upcoming summer, please read and sign the 2025-2026 Gallatin County Livestock Contract.
This contract explains the livestock project workshop requirements, animal possession deadlines, expectations and other important fair information. This contract is MANDATORY if you are selling a market animal and is due by the possession date for your species (listed in Section 2 on the contract). After both the youth and parent/guardian signs, you and the 4-H Office will be auto-emailed a copy of the completed contract to keep for your records. The 4-H Office will pass along the signed contracts to the appropriate species leaders and FFA advisers (if applicable).**Please Note: The Gallatin County Livestock Contract is
in addition to any other species-specific contracts that your project leaders may give you.
Sign Contract Here: https://na3.docusign.net/Member/PowerFormSigning.aspx?PowerFormId=d04300b2-a438-4f39-b220-1f239c698aac&env=na3&acct=960f6090-f7cb-40a6-adf5-0490f456d6eb&v=2
Questions? Contact the Swine Committee at gallatinswineproject@gmail.com
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Gallatin County MSU Extension Office | 903 North Black Ave | Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 582-3280
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cody Stone, Director of Extension, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.
To request disability accommodation or to inform us of special needs, please contact the Extension Office at 406-582-3280 five (5) working days before the event.
Molly Yurdana
Gallatin County MSU Extension
4-H Youth Development Agent
(406) 582-3284 | molly.yurdana@montana.edu | https://www.montana.edu/extension/gallatin/ back to top
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