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THAT'S A WRAP!
What an incredible
2026 Big Sky Country State Fair! From project interviews, to the first trailer that pulled in, to the last pen that was torn down, this week was powered by hundreds of youth, families, volunteers, buyers, sponsors, and community members who gave their time, energy, and heart to make it all happen.
This year we welcomed 362 Gallatin 4-H & FFA youth exhibitors competing in over 50 different project areas. We had a record-breaking 422 lots sold through the Market Livestock Auction, generating $1,477,588 (after add-ons) in support of youth livestock projects. The overwhelming support from our buyers and community continues to create opportunities that last far beyond fair week.
Our Indoor Exhibit Building was filled with outstanding static projects, highlighting youth creativity and craftsmanship. The Indoor Silent Auction was the largest we've ever had, expanding to four full tables of items up for sale to support our talented youth.
To every exhibitor who put their hands in the dirt and their heart in the work this year -
THANK YOU for representing 4-H and FFA with pride, responsibility, and determination.We couldn't be more proud of what this community accomplished together. Until next year...💚🍀
2026 Sale Averages:
- 47 Steers averaging $7.99/pound
- 237 Swine averaging $10.88/pound
- 78 Sheep averaging $10.53/pound
- 16 Goat averaging $965.63/head
- 40 pens of Poultry averaging $1,227.50 (per pen of 3)
- 4 pens of Rabbit averaging $850.00 (per pen of 3)
General Fair Sponsors:
- Big Sky Country State Fair & Fairgrounds Staff (Set Up, Facilities, Labor)
- AgWest Farm Credit (Livestock Show Tent)
- First Security Bank (Livestock Barns, Market Buckles, Sale Staff)
- Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply (Show Ring)
- Gallatin County 4-H Foundation (Livestock fans, panels and scales)
- Daniel's Gourmet Meats & Sausages (Buyer's BBQ)
- Swan Land Company (Small Animal Tent & Market Champion Row)
- SIME Construction, Knife River, United Rentals, and The Ice House (equipment and services)
4-H Fair
"
Rosette Donor" Level Sponsors ($1000+):
- Rocky Mountain Supply (Round Robin Competition & MORE)
- NorthWestern Energy
- Park Electric Cooperative Inc.
- Edison Electrical Contractors, Inc.
- Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware
- Rising Sun Auto Repair
- Montana Embroidery
- Summit Dental
- Lehrkind's Coca-Cola
- Bank of the Rockies
- Door Tech
- Charles Schwab of Bozeman
- Signs Solutions
4-H Fair
"Blue Ribbon Donor" Level Sponsors ($500 - $999):
- Stockman Bank
- Manhattan Bank
- Frontline Ag Solutions
- Neil & Company, P.C
- Walker Construction
4-H Fair
"Clover Donor" Level Sponsors ($250 - $499):
- Montana Farmers Union
- Four Corners Saddlery
- Car Quest Auto Parts
- Owenhouse Ace Hardware
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Be sure to THANK your supporters!
It takes many Buyers, 4-H Volunteers, Parents, Judges, Extension Staff, and Fairgrounds Staff to pull off such a long and large event like Fair. Please remember to thank those who have helped and supported you this year!
**The office is planning to send out a spreadsheet to all market livestock sale exhibitors with contact information listed for their Buyers and Add-On donors so the appropriate thank yous can be sent.
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2026 Round Robin Master Showmanship
40 outstanding 4-H/FFA members advanced to the Round Robin Master Showmanship Contest after earning Grand or Reserve in their species shows this week. They put their knowledge, adaptability, and livestock handling skills to the test. Competitors rotated through 9 different species, demonstrating that great showmanship goes far beyond knowing just one project.Congratulations to our top overall competitors!
Senior Division
Grand Champion: Natalie Samson
Reserve Champion: Moriah Colton
3rd Place: Josie Duncan
4th Place: Aleana Sendra
5th Place: Heidi Hutchison
Junior Division
Grand Champion: Griffin Jensen
Reserve Champion: Bridger Noonan
3rd Place: Dallas Owens
4th Place: Brailey Brownell
5th Place: Kaisa Mitchell
A huge thank you to Rocky Mountain Supply - Belgrade for sponsoring our annual Round Robin Showmanship Contest and providing our champion buckles. Congratulations to every Round Robin qualifier for representing the very best in sportsmanship, knowledge, and showmanship. We are proud of each of you! |
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2026 Bob Brownell Memorial 4-H Herdsmanship Award Recipients
These awards recognize 4-H members who go above and beyond to represent the very best of our program. Herdsmanship isn't just about keeping a clean barn - it's about taking pride in your project area, caring for your animals, creating a welcoming environment, and demonstrating respect and courtesy to fellow exhibitors, volunteers, judges, and fair visitors.Recipients are nominated within each livestock species by superintendents and volunteers who recognize members for their outstanding dedication throughout fair week!
Beef - Tyson Pavlik, Bob Smieja
Dairy Cow - Joe Kamerman
Dairy Goat - Moriah Colton
Horse - Naomi O’Hara
Market Goat - Ruby Roberts, Madison Roberts, Gunner Whitson
Poultry - Dallas Owens, JoeLyn Neiminen
Sheep - Kelsee Smith, Hally Flikkema, Acie Kelley, Nicole Berger
Swine - Aubrey Milesnick, Samuel Barr, Isaiah Barr
Rabbit - Sean Marble
Fairgrounds - Samuel Barr, Brady Link
Thank you to all of our exhibitors who helped make the barns clean, welcoming, and inviting throughout the fair. Your hard work behind the scenes reflects the true spirit of 4-H. Congratulations to all of our 2026 Bob Brownell Memorial Herdsmanship Award recipients! |
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Congratulations Gallatin County 4-H Class of 2026!
We had the honor of celebrating 28 incredible young people as they closed one chapter of their 4-H journey and prepared to begin the next. Throughout the years, these members have grown into leaders, mentors, competitors, volunteers, and role models. They have represented Gallatin County 4-H with dedication, perseverance, and countless hours of hard work, leaving a lasting impact on our program and the younger members who look up to them.
We are so proud of everything they've accomplished and can't wait to see where their next adventures take them. No matter where life leads, they'll always be part of the Gallatin County 4-H family.Congratulations, Class of 2026!
We wish you all the best as you continue to keep your hands in the dirt and your hearts in the work! |
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2026 4-H Indoor Projects & Club Displays
From photography and woodworking to sewing, baking, arts, and everything in between, our Gallatin County 4-H members poured their creativity, curiosity, and hard work into this year's Indoor Projects. Every exhibit told a story of new skills learned, challenges overcome, and countless hours of dedication. Congratulations to our Indoor youth and their successes in the Exhibit Building during the 2026 Fair!
Congratulations to our 2026 Club Display Winners
This year's theme,
"Hands in the Dirt. Hearts in the Work.” celebrated the dedication, growth, and heart that our 4-H/FFA members pour into everything they do - and our clubs/chapters brought that message to life with incredible fair displays! From showcasing your members and projects to highlighting a year full of learning, leadership, and service, each display told the story of what 4-H/FFA is all about. The competition was stiff this year...
Grand Champion
TIE - Gateway Challengers 4-H Club (receives $150 cash prize to their Club) & Dag Nabids 4-H Club (also receives $150 cash prize to their Club)
Reserve Champion - Dry Creek Teens (receives $75 cash prize to their Club)
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4-H Project Award Nominations
This week our office will be
mailing out paper letters to 4-H youth who have been
nominated for 2026 4-H Project Award(s), so CHECK YOUR MAILBOX! With both record-keeping and interview skills being equally important to develop in our youth, the two areas were scored and totaled to determine award nominees. Members that scored 110 total points (85%) or higher and had all the appropriate signatures by their Project Interview(s), were nominated to be considered for a Project Award(s).
**IF you received this letter, please make sure to follow the requirements stated in the letter and turn in your updated record book(s) back to the office by Friday, September 4th by 5pm for a final review of completion. Record Books will not be rescored, but reviewed for completion using a checklist of the items listed in your Nomination Letter. *Please note that nomination does not guarantee an award.
Even if you don’t get nominated, please remember that record keeping and interview skills are some of the many life skills we are teaching youth in 4-H. Practicing keeping accurate and updated records and speaking to an adult about your learning experiences will help in your future projects and when applying for jobs/scholarships/college. Be sure to still update your records books with all your project information/financial records/ribbons/etc. up through the current date to “close out” your records for this 4-H Year.
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“Outstanding 4-H Members of the Year” – Achievement Journals
Each year, the Gallatin County 4-H Foundation awards scholarships to our “Outstanding 4-H Members of the Year” through the Achievement Journal process.
This is a great opportunity for 4-H members to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work, dedication, and involvement in our program.
The best part? Youth of ANY AGE (8+) are eligible to apply!
Winners are selected using a points-based scoring system that highlights involvement, leadership, participation, and achievement throughout the year. The winners (top 3 Junior members and top 3 Senior members) will receive
MONETARY SCHOLARSHIPS! 🎉🍀
Award amounts and the number of scholarships vary each year based on qualified applicants and available funds, and recipients are recognized at our annual 4-H Awards Celebration. These awards are generously sponsored by the Harris and Elizabeth Kirk Trust.
Members must complete the Achievement Journal (GallatinCountyAchievementJournalrev2025-2026.pdf) for the current 4-H year to the best of their ability and submit it to our office by:
Friday, September 4th by 5:00 PM
Hard work pays off....literally!
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Market Livestock Sale Checks, Indoor Silent Auction Payout & Premium Award Money
We estimate that youth exhibitors will receive their checks no later than October 1st of the current year. We will communicate if there are any additional delays beyond our control to the best of our abilities.
- Check Dispersal Policy: Exhibitors will be notified via email when Market Sale, Indoor Silent Auction and Premium Award Checks are available. Checks are no longer be mailed and all 4-H/FFA Exhibitors will be required to pick up their checks at the 4-H Office. When picking up your checks, you will be asked to “sign out” your checks signifying that you have received them.
- **As a reminder, a 5% commission is deducted from the sale price of each market sale animal to pay sale expenses and operating fees. This commission covers but is not limited to the following: Livestock Judge, Buyers BBQ, Insurance coverage, Trucking fees of animals, Auctioneers, Online Sale Platform, Marketing and Advertising prior to sale, Thank you Tab publication after the fair, Equipment and Supplies for the sale, Tax fees, and Donation to Higher Education Scholarships for 4-H youth. The 5% commission will also be deducted from all add-ons. All Market Swine will be deducted a rate of $0.35 per every $100 of the sale price to cover the Pork Checkoff Fees. For example, if you sell a market hog for $2,000, you would multiply that amount times 0.0035 (2000 x 0.0035 = $7.00).
- The 5% commission does NOT apply to Indoor Silent Auction items.
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Driven to Lead: Gallatin County 4-H Hit the Track at the 2026 Montana 4-H Congress!
No, really - we literally brought a race car to the event - proving from the start that we were ready to shift into high gear for a week of leadership, learning, competition, and fun! This year, 17 Gallatin 4-H teens raced to Montana 4-H Congress - our largest delegation ever - and 10 of them were first-time attendees!
Before Congress officially began, 7 of our members attended Pre-Congress, where they took on leadership roles, helping plan and prepare for this statewide event while building valuable leadership and teamwork skills.
Our members also put the pedal to the metal in state contests:
- Livestock Judging: Teah, Griffin, and Bridger earned 4th Place Team in the state!
- Stir-Ups Cooking: Sean and Sophie earned 5th Place in the state with their delicious stir-fry recipe.
- Demonstration/Illustrated Talk: Mattie and Makinzey both represented Gallatin 4-H with confidence and professionalism in an incredibly competitive contest.
- Teah was recognized on stage for her Montana 4-H Foundation Scholarship provided by Steer in Trailer Sales.
- Sean was awarded the MVP Award for his work on the Pre-Congress Tech Committee.
Beyond the competitions, our teens attended workshops, connected with 4-Hers from across Montana, honed their leadership skills, and created memories that will last a lifetime. We are so proud of each teen for stepping outside their comfort zone, trying new experiences, and accelerating their leadership journey. Until next year! |
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Gallatin County 4-H Resources
Gallatin 4-H Website Forms Page contains the links to our:
- Record Book forms + instructions on Record Book requirements/scoring
- Financial Assistance Request form
- Facility Rental Request google form
- Fundraising Policy + Fundraiser Request form
- Livestock Project contracts
- Shooting Sports Informed Consent/Medical Release forms
- Youth Leadership applications
- Scholarship Applications
Gallatin 4-H BAND page has ALL 4-H meetings/events listed in one place in the calendar tool (Join BAND here)
Gallatin 4-H Marketplace is 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:https://www.facebook.com/groups/2064328691002313/
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
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End-of-Year 4-H Awards Celebration for Youth & Volunteers
Our 4-H Awards Celebration is our annual opportunity to celebrate 4-H volunteers and youth members! We have an afternoon planned to recognize volunteers who have done some outstanding work and who have been a part of the program for years! We will also celebrate youth who excelled in their projects this year and did an outstanding job being a part of the community.
This year's program will boast a new dessert, photo backdrop/booth, chance to win door prizes, and an evening of awards!
The
2026 Awards Celebration will be held at the Bozeman Grantree Inn on SUNDAY, September 20th at 2pm.
RSVP HERE: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-64912148-2026
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Promote 4-H at the Manhattan Potato Festival!
Gallatin County 4-H will have a presence again at the Manhattan Potato Festival on Saturday, August 15th. We are in need of enthusiastic 4-H members, leaders and parents to promote 4-H at this event!
We will have a Gallatin County 4-H float in the parade and a 4-H promotional booth in the park. This is a great way to stay involved in 4-H this summer, show off our 4-H spirit to our community and recruit new members and volunteers for clubs/projects for the upcoming 4-H year!
SIGN UP NOW! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-64035745-2026
Event details: Facebook
Parade/Float
- We want both animal and indoor projects highlighted in the parade with use of project banners and members walking/riding with the float holding signs (throwing candy, handing out 4-H stickers, etc.)
- See SignUp Genius link above for dates, times and ways to participate
- **Participating members/parents will have to sign liability waivers from the Potato Festival – once you sign up, I will email you that form to complete.
4-H Promotional Booth
- Commitment would be 10:30am-3pm (there will be 2 shifts)
- Club leaders, experienced members and Extension office staff would be great to have at the booth to answer questions about clubs, activities, projects and the enrollment process for the 2026-2027 4-H year
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Earn 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 2026 Fall Fundraising concessions events at MSU! We frequently commit to events throughout the year as they arise and update the SignUp Genius accordingly.
What does working MSU Concessions entail?
All food is made and prepped by MSU Culinary/Concessions staff, 4-H members/parents just simply sell and serve it out of one of the concessions stands on MSU Campus (Stadium or Fieldhouse depending on the event). This is a super easy, fun and quick way to make money for your Clubs/Projects and gain some skills in the service industry! A Stand Leader and MSU Concessions staff will train you on the spot with what you need to know - No experience necessary!
2026-2027 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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MSU Concessions Volunteer Training
It is that time of year where we start looking forward to the 2026-2027 4-H Year. MSU provides fundraising opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise funds for their group by providing volunteers to staff the concession stands at university events. Gallatin County 4-H has again agreed to provide volunteers/youth to work concessions throughout the year (football, basketball, volleyball, concerts, Pow Wow, rodeo, etc). Event 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 to help our youth gain some skills in the service industry!
To do this, Gallatin 4-H needs to complete a Concessions Volunteer Training with MSU Culinary Staff before the start of football season regarding all applicable federal, state, and municipal health and sanitation codes and regulations. They will also provide training regarding the process/procedures of working in the concessions stand, how to be a Stand Leader, responsibilities, paperwork for the money room, etc.
We have
ONE timeslot scheduled for Adult Volunteers to complete a 1.5 hour training; Thursday, August 20th at 7:00-8:30pm at the Bobcat Stadium. ALL 4-H Volunteers are invited to attend the training **If your club/project intends on working any MSU Concession games/concerts to raise funds for this upcoming 4-H year, we
strongly encourage parents/volunteers/leaders to attend this training.
Don’t worry, this does not commit you to being a Stand Leader for a concessions event, however it does help us to have more than only a few leaders trained in the Stand Leader role. We are hoping to share the workload by having other leaders trained to manage/supervise these events throughout the year.
If you plan to attend the 4-H/MSU Concessions Volunteer training, please RSVP here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-64911961-4hmsu
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2026 Montana 4-H State Horse Shows
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Enrollment for the 2026-2027 4-H Year opens on October 1st, 2026
4-H ENROLLMENT POLICY: Our county 4-H program enrollment policy states our enrollment window opens October 1st and closes January 15th – 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. **Please re-enroll
by October 31 to avoid late fees and to ensure you are included on emails, meeting announcements and newsletter mailing list.
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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LOOKING AHEAD:
Check out the
"4-H Year at a Glance" Calendar for the 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)
AUGUST 2 - AUGUST 5 "Trip to Paradise" 4-H Summer Camp
AUGUST 6-9 Bozeman Stampede
AUGUST 15 Manhattan Potato Festival
AUGUST 17 Market Livestock Committee Fair Wrap Up Meeting
AUGUST 20 MSU Concessions Volunteer Training - RSVP above
AUGUST 21 MSU Concessions Fundraiser - Red Clay Strays Concert
AUGUST 23 Newsletter Blurbs DUE
AUGUST 27 Foundation Meeting
See August Committee, Club and Project updates in sections below.
SEPTEMBER 1 ULC Committee Meeting
SEPTEMBER 4
Nominated Record Books DUE to 4-H Office
SEPTEMBER 4 Achievement Journals DUE to 4-H Office (see post above)
SEPTEMBER 5 MSU Concessions Fundraiser (Bobcat Football game)
SEPTEMBER 7 Office Closed - Labor Day
SEPTEMBER 10-13 Montana 4-H State Horse Show
SEPTEMBER 18-20 Montana 4-H State Working Ranch Horse Show
SEPTEMBER 19 MSU Concessions Fundraiser (Bobcat Football game)
SEPTEMBER 20 Gallatin County 4-H End-of-Year Awards Celebration
SEPTEMBER 26 MSU Concessions Fundraiser (Bobcat Football game)
OCTOBER 1 Gallatin County 4-H 2026-2027 Enrollment OPENS
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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
September 1, 2026 at the Gallatin County Extension Office @ 6:00pm. No meeting in August.
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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 full committee meeting will be Monday, August 17th at 6:00pm 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. Our next meeting will be held Thursday, August 27th at 6pm at the 4-H Office.
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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.
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
Meetings take place the second Wednesday of each month at Anderson School at 3:30pm.
Congratulations to our club members that participated in Fair this year. We enjoyed cheering you on and had a great time selling ice cream at the concession stand. Looking forward to more 4-H adventures together!
Questions? Contact Kirsten Drake at
(406) 945-2290 or kdrakem@gmail.com
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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
The Gallatin Gateway Birthday Bash is on Saturday, August 29. The club will have a booth there, stop by and help support our club!
Reminder: the next and final club meeting is in September 14 @ the Community Center.
- Submitted by Decker Trainor
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.
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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
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.
We will not meet over summer. Our First official meeting for the 2026-2027 4-H year will be OCTOBER 12TH, 6-8PM. We will be doing nominations for our parliament and possibly voting in members if time allows.
The Bozeman Stampede is August 6-10, Please watch for the sign ups and help with the clean up day the best that you can. It would be great to have many members of the club help on the clean up day.
August 15th is the Manhattan Potato Festival.
Have a great summer!
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.
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.
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.
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
Hello Teen Leaders & Ambassadors🍀
Thank you for a great year! We were an incredibly active group this year, with club appearances, teaching county-wide workshops, our first-ever Junior Rec Lab, dances and more!
Plans for August/September:
- Historically, the Teen Leaders have helped at the end-of-year Gallatin 4-H Awards Celebration, announcing youth awards, handing out prizes, and providing entertainment for the afternoon. I would love to have you all involved in the planning and presentation of the awards celebration again this year. I want YOU to take the lead on planning the script, flow, program, decorations, and hype. Our entire Ambassador Team (minus Maggie Radke) were graduating seniors, so we will need all hands on deck to make this event happen.
- The 2026 Awards Celebration is scheduled for Sunday, September 20th at 2pm-4:30pm (your commitment would be 12pm-5pm that day). We will have
TWO opportunities to gather as a Leadership team to brainstorm and assign duties – please plan to attend both dates if your schedule allows.
- Next Teen Leadership Project Meeting(s) – to plan end-of-year 4-H Awards Celebration
- Tuesday, August 18th 6:30pm – 8:30pm @ 4-H Office & Wednesday, September 9th 6pm – 8pm @ 4-H Office
Mark Your Calendars:
The 2026-2027 Montana 4-H Fall Leadership Training event will be held Friday, November 6th – Sunday, November 8th at the Copper King Hotel in Butte. Fall Leadership Training is the annual leadership development retreat for county 4-H Ambassadors and Teen Leaders. This is a peer-to-peer leadership training – facilitated by our newly elected MT 4-H State Officer Team! The majority of the event workshops are created
by teens,
for teens. Teens will leave the weekend prepared and excited to take the knowledge and skills they have gained and apply them in their counties. It is also a great place to have youth leaders exchange ideas and create a statewide network of resources. I encourage you all to attend (unless you’re a graduated senior on this email thread)!
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.
Congratulations to Maiya Archer for going above and beyond in the babysitting project! She submitted an amazing record book and received Grand Champion on her AMAZING interactive poster at fair.
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BAKING PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Wow!! We are so proud of all of you that put in the work of submitting your record books, doing your interview and exhibiting your baked goods at the fair!
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.
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CAMP COUNSELOR PROJECT
Hello Camp Counselors,
Hopefully you all have recovered from Fair because it’s finally
CAMP WEEK! We have prepared this Camp for the last 9 months, so I hope you all are ready!
Camp Counselor arrival at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures is THIS Saturday, August 1st at 3pm (sharp). We have only a few hours set aside that evening for move-in, cabin decorating, workshop prep, registration prep and skit run-throughs. It will be all hands on deck! Bring all your belongings upon arrival, including any supplies/costumes/decorations you were responsible for. Remember to bring appropriate clothing as counselors, do not bring any contraband and keep the phone/social media usage during camp to a minimum. You will be required to stay at Camp until Wednesday, August 5th at 11am.
Attached is the finalized Camp Schedule for your viewing. Counselors will have the schedule printed on their nametags and a schedule with no times will be provided for each cabin. Also attached is the Camper packing list – review this document to help you pack for the week.
Our 4-H Youth Code of Conduct, Media Release and Authorization of Treatment forms were already completed when you enrolled in ZSuite at the beginning of the year – we will have those printed and on-hand at Camp for our reference. If you require any medications during camp, please bring them labeled with your name upon arrival so we can record them with the nurse.
2026 Cabin Partners: Each counselor will receive a colored t-shirt in their respective cabin color with “Camp Counselor” and 4-H Clover printed across the chest to wear on camp check-in day to be easily identifiable by their youth campers as they get to know you. Connect with your cabin partners to plan decorations, responsibilities, etc.
- Matt, David, Kallen = Hot Pink Cabin (8-10 yr old boys)
- Sean & Bob = Dark Green Cabin (10-11 yr old boys)
- Wyatt & Tom = Dark Blue Cabin (11-13 yr old boys)
- Mattie & Moriah = Light Blue Cabin (8-9 yr old girls)
- Kryka & Keeley = White Cabin (9-10 yr old girls)
- Cami & Kylee = Orange Cabin (10 yr old girls)
- Maggie & Dagny = Yellow Cabin (10-11 yr old girls)
- Makinzey & Emma = Dark Purple Cabin (11-12 yr old girls)
- Keira & Naomi = Light Purple Cabin (11-12 yr old girls)
- Aspen & Micky = Red Cabin (12-13 yr old girls)
If you need any final supplies or have any questions, please let us know ASAP!! Let’s make this
TRIP TO PARADISE an amazing week for the kids!
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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.
There will no more Cloverbud Meetings for the remainder of the 4-H year. Can’t wait to see y'all come October 2026!
Questions? Contact leader BreeAnna Benz at breeannaleelynn@gmail.com
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COOKING PROJECT *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
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HORSELESS HORSE PROJECT
Thanks for a great year in Horseless Horse!
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 hope everyone was able to attend Fair and had a great time. It was wonderful to see the Knitting & Crocheting table and all the projects entered. Everyone put in so much hard work and their creativity and skills were certainly evident! Each project entered was unique, well made and beautiful!
We hope you are able to crochet and knit this summer and if you have any questions or would like some help, don't hesitate to reach out to one of us. Happy Summer, we hope to see you in the Fall!
Leaders:
Kim Hackl kimhackl@gmail.com 406-539-0802
Kate Newton katenewt17@gmail.com 406-451-8753
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LEATHERCRAFT PROJECT
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
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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.
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.
BAND APP: https://band.us/n/a0a9AcM794fcI
Please join the PHOTOGRAPHY BAND on the app. 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
Project Notes: Youth members must be at least 10 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
Congratulations to the quilting members who exhibited at the fair. Everyone did a great job. To those who made a poster, please save those to bring to the first meeting in the fall to show/teach others. Lots of time and effort went in to those. Great job.
I am working on ideas for next year, so you can be looking for ideas and thinking about what you would like to do. When we have our first meeting, invite a friend and we can share the fun.
Great job quilters!!!
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.
Congratulations on completing your projects for fair and entering them in the silent auction! Everyone did such a great job with their projects and your hard work really showed. Being the Gallatin 4-H Sewing Leader for the last 4 years has brought me so much joy. I've loved helping you learn how to sew and witnessing your creativity. Unfortunately, I will not be able to continue being the sewing leader but if you ever need advice or help with a project on the side, I'm happy to help guide you and you know where to find me 😉
Good luck to you all, Laura
Laura - howdy@revivallclothing.com
Toni - trberger1@gmail.com
Kim - kimhackl@gmail.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.
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.
Parent Volunteers:
Randy Radke, Brian Marassi, Mike Prester, Travis Earl, Jake Noonan and Paul Smart are the current co-archery leaders. Anyone who would like to help facilitate please reach out to Randy at gv4harchery@gmail.com.
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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. For more information contact Lee Nelson – 579-0612.
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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.
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
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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
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
Project Notes: *Youth members must be at least 9 years old (age as of Oct. 1st) to participate.
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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.
CONGRATULATIONS Beef kids! What a fantastic job!!!
Please remember:
🍔We need help unloading beef on August 22nd. It means a lot to buyers to see your faces!
🍔Please send thank you notes to our buyers. It’s incredibly important.
We will see you next year!
For NEW students next year please reach out to a leader before you sign up and buy a calf!!!
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
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
Questions? Contact leaders:
Shawna Oostema (406) 580-7819
Cassie Smieja (406) 539-3833.
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DOG OBEDIENCE & AGILITY PROJECTS *new leader in 2025-2026!
**This Project is FULL and is no longer taking new enrollments.
Hello Everyone!
I want to thank you all, kids, parents and dogs, for the wonderful year we had! I'm so proud of you all and all the accomplishments you made not only at fair but throughout the year. I look forward to seeing you all next year. Remember too that if you have done obedience for at least one year you can now sign up for dog agility! If you are looking at participating in the dog project, be ready to get signed up on October 1st when registration opens! Obedience signup did close a couple hours after opening!
One of my goals over the next year is to have us participate in helping with various events like concessions at MSU events, etc. If anyone else has ideas of how they would like to help the community, let me know, I'm all ears!
Again, I appreciate all the work and dedication each and every one of you put in this year and that includes you too parents! I look forward to next year!
Jen Osler
406.388.4789 (work)
361.446.1209 (cell)
facility@montanamurraykennels.com
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DAIRY GOAT PROJECT
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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HORSE PROJECTS
Whew! Our Big Sky State Fair Horse Show was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers, judges, parents, and kids who worked so hard! Thank you for your good attitudes and willing spirits! We hope each of you has taken time to reflect with your kids on the hard work, victories, defeats, and lessons learned over the past 4H year. The longest lasting results are the results reaped internally as our kids learn to dig deep and find grit when it is hard, handle defeat and victory with equal grace, lean on their community for support and encouragement, and learn that success is more about moving forward toward meeting one's own goals than winning a class. That being said...it feels great to win! So here's a shout out to our High Points:
English High Point
Level 1- Angie Fambro (Champion)
Junior- Naomi O'Hara (Champion), Evelyn Flammond (Reserve)
Intermediate- Clara Sherard (Champion)
Senior- Aspen Smart (Champion), Hailey Reed (Reserve)
Jumping High Point
Level 1- Angie Fambro (Champion)
Junior- Aurora Mallory (Champion), Evelyn Flammond (Reserve)
Intermediate- Clara Sherard (Champion), Addie Kate Pumprey (Reserve)
Senior- Aspen Smart (Champion), Eliza Hershey (Reserve)
C2M- Kryka Shockley (Champion)
Dressage High Point
Level 2- Addie Kate Pumphrey (Grand), Aurora Mallory (Reserve)
Level 3- Eliza Hershey (Grand), Hailey Reed (Reserve)
Level 4- Aspen Smart (Grand), Kryka Shockley (Reserve)
Overall English High Point: Kryka Shockley
Western High Point
Level 1- Rylee Malcott (Champion), Abigail Jones (Reserve)
Junior- Naomi O'Hara (Champion), Evelyn Flammond (Reserve)
Intermediate- Mattie Casto (Champion), Clara Sherard (Reserve)
Senior- Aspen Smart (Champion), Dylanne Free (Reserve)
Colt to Maturity/Green Horse
C2M1 Alivia Jones
C2M2/GH1 Clara Sherard (Champion), Eliza Hershey (Reserve)
C2M3/GH2 Josie Casto (Champion), Cassie Schmitt (Reserve)
C2M4/GH3- Kryka Shockley (Champion), Dylanne Free (Reserve)
C2M5/GH4- Dylanne Free (Champion)
Working Ranch Horse
Level 1- Abigail Jones (Champion), Hailey Hebel (Reserve)
Level 2- Alivia Jones (Champion), Mattie Casto (Reserve)
Level 3- Kryka Shockley (Champion), Dylanne Free (Reserve)
Level 4- Emma Baeth (Champion), Aspen Smart (Reserve)
Round Robin
Senior: Hailey Reed (Grand), Aspen Smart (Reserve)
Junior: Clara Sherard (Grand), Naomi O'Hara (Reserve)
Driving
Level 1: Naomi O'Hara
Level 3 Kryka Shockley
Complete results for all classes can be found Here:
LOOKING AHEAD: The fun continues...
August 6-9th Bozeman Stampede: This is a major fundraiser for the horse project so please sign up!
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Date
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Time
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Needs (see details below in red)
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Club or Project committed to providing volunteers
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Thursday - Saturday Hospitality Rooms + Other Help
(https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9A92AABFE3-63754921-2026)
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5:30pm-10pm+
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~ 10 people + 2-3 adults
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Horse (all Hospitality Room shifts – but see below in Horse Only section below for other tasks)
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*If you cannot fill an entire night, you can team up with another smaller project to meet the needs.
Aug 12th- Family Fun Potluck- Bring the whole family and a dish to share out to Shockley's for a fun time of games and fellowship with our 4H Horse Community. Sign up Here
September 10-13th - State 4H Horse Show (open to ALL members who show at county, regardless of placing!!) Sign up now! More info
September 18-20th- Working Ranch Horse Finals (open to WRH project members and family. Details coming soon!) Sign up now! More info
We hope to see everyone soon at an upcoming event! |
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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.
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RABBIT PROJECT - Market or Breed/Pet
Questions?
Monica Samson 406-399-1866
Jim Murphy 406-946-2522
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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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