Pierce County 4-H
Clover Report
March 2026
Fun’Raiser
Get ready for fair season at the Pierce County 4-H Leaders Council FUN’Raiser! Join us April 25 at Frontier Park for an open show featuring Cats, Dogs, and Horses. Open to all ages and the public, this event provides valuable ring and arena experience while supporting the Pierce County 4-H Leaders Council Grants and Scholarship Program.
Times and fees vary—see individual flyers for details and to enter
- Cats includes Fitting & Showmanship, Type, and Agility.
- Dogs features Showmanship, Obedience, Rally, and AKC Canine Good Citizen and Novice Trick tests and new this year is a Fun Run Novice only Fetch Dog.
- Horse offers Showmanship, Performance, Driving, In-Hand, and Western Games.
Pre Registration closes on April 22 for Cats and Horses and April 15 for Dogs. Day of Registration is available for all three shows.
Small Animal Workshops will be held in June. Thank you for supporting local 4-H youth!
4-H Leaders Council Scholarship
The Pierce County 4-H Leaders Council is proud to support our graduating senior members as they take the next step in their education. Believing in the life skills developed through 4-H—leadership, teamwork, communication, goal setting, service learning, and more—the Leaders Council offers scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,250 for post-high school education.
If you are a 4-H senior member planning to attend an accredited school in the fall and meet the criteria to apply for the scholarship don’t miss this opportunity! Applications must be completed and submitted by March 15.
There are also Washington State 4-H Scholarships available
Open to all active 12th grade 4-H’ers who have completed at least two years of 4-H participation. Don’t wait! Applications must be submitted by March 15th. Visit the Scholarship Page for details and requirements.
4-H Record Book Workshop: Learn the Basics
March 26th, 7:00 PM via Zoom
Join us to learn the basics of doing a 4-H Record Book in this page by page walk through of the 4-H Record Book to help members participate in this year’s Record Book Contest. Laura Mendoza, leader of Graham Crackers 4-H Club, will teach this workshop. Youth will learn the essential information needed to complete their 4-H Record Book for the 2025-2026 program year contest hosted by the Pierce County 4-H Leaders Council and the Fruitland Grange. Three gift cards will be presented in each age division by the Fruitland Grange.
Zoom Link:
- zoom link
- Meeting ID: 938 7782 9705
- Passcode: 289603
- Date & Time: Mar 26, 2026, 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Shooting Sports – National Qualifying Event
Attention all Intermediates and Seniors in Shooting Sports. The Washington State 4-H National Qualifying Event is coming up May 15-17, 2026. It is being held at the Upper Nisqually Sportsman’s Club in Eatonville. This is a great event to shoot with 4-H members from across the State. Registration opens March 1,2026. Any questions please reach out to Rebecca Farris at 4HShootingSportsUNSC@gmail.com
WSU Risk Management – Club Events and Project Meetings
If your club has any upcoming activities or project meetings that weren’t included on your update sheets, please send the details to Shelley. WSU requires us to submit meeting information for insurance purposes, so we appreciate your help in keeping everything up to date. When you email, please include the date, time, location, and the name of the volunteer leading the activity.
2026 State 4-H Fair Patch Contest
The 2026 State 4-H Fair Patch Contest is on now! The contest is open to all current Washington State 4-H members. Designs must be received by May 15th. Visit the event page for details and instructions on how to apply. We can’t wait to see your creativity!
4-H International Exchange Inbound Hosting Opportunities Summer 2026
We are looking for families willing to host International Exchange students from Japan and South Korea for three weeks from July 23 to August 15. These international youth are placed with families around the state of Washington, and they will arrive and depart from Ellensburg.
All host families must speak English in the home and have youth between the ages of 9 and 17 to be paired with a host sibling. Interested host families must submit an application with States 4-H Exchange. For more information or to see the list of visiting delegates, contact Carolyn Russo.
2026 Know Your Government Conference
Over Presidents Day weekend, three 4-H youth members and two adult chaperones attended the 2026 Know Your Government (KYG) Conference, February 13–16 at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. The annual event brings together high school students from across Washington to learn about state government while building civic leadership skills.
Prior to the conference, delegates participated in preparatory meetings where they studied the legislative process and drafted a bill proposing expanded virtual agricultural education for teens. In Olympia, they toured the Washington State Capitol, met with a local legislator, and observed a live House floor debate.
During the conference, youth participated in hands-on workshops, committee hearings, testimony practice, and mock floor debates—all centered around the theme “Advocating for Change: The Legislative Process.” Beyond the legislative learning, delegates also engaged in meaningful community-building activities, including volunteering in The Evergreen State College Community Garden and taking part in Positive Propaganda, where they painted rocks with uplifting messages to place around campus. They also created colorful plant markers for the garden
Spring Leaders Meeting
Our Spring Leaders Meeting is coming up on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at WSU Puyallup.
The meeting will start at 7 pm, with a light meal available beginning at 6:15 pm. This is an in-person only meeting. Each club must have at least one leader, parent, or guardian there in person.
2026 Thurston County Livestock Show – April 25/26
This event is a special opportunity to learn more about your animal and how to maximize its potential at the Fair. Saturday, April 25 the schedule is centered around growth and preparation, featuring a free Showmanship Clinic at 9:00 AM, followed by species-specific clinics for cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. Additionally, 4-H will be hosting fun activities for all participants on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sunday, April 26 will offer Market and Youth Sanctioned Events. For more info – check out the schedule and register. There is also camping available and local food and commercial vendors will be on-site.
4-H Club Highlights and County Activities
Shout Out to Community Service Projects
Hoppin’ Hen House 4-H along with Mrs. Seavello’s 4th grade class at Crestwood Elementary, made over 70 Valentines for the seniors at Orting Senior Center!
With the help of the Valentines that were made at Super Saturday and Valley 4-H over 125 Valentines were delivered to a Senior Living Residence in Gig Harbor and another 75 to Linden Grove in Puyallup.
KYG Conference: What We Learned
Attendee Nathan Clark…..
I recently participated in the Know Your Government (KYG) conference, where they engaged in mock legislative sessions and lively debates.
My favorite part was the debates—I finally got to use what I learned in speech and debate class. It was also very cool to watch us students figure things out as a team.
Advice for future participants? Come prepared! There was little time to prepare with the testimonies. It was doable, but more time would hel
Attendee Kasper Fay….
Attending the Know Your Government (KYG) State 4-H Conference was a great way to better understand how the legislative process works.
Before the conference, In county pre meetings we learned about parliamentary procedure and the steps in the legislative process.
One key thing I learned is that even if a bill passes both chambers, the governor can still veto it. I also learned that legislators serve part time and are everyday people balancing other responsibilities.
At KYG, I served as a senator and participated in mock debates. It was interesting to try to pass bills I supported and stop ones I didn’t. The experience helped me see how the legislative branch affects daily life by deciding which bills become law. I also built my public speaking and negotiation skills.
I would highly encourage other youth to attend KYG—it’s fun, educational, and eye-opening. My advice for next year: bring a notebook and pens or pencils so you’re ready to learn.
Youth Reflections: National Livestock Judging Contest
I’m excited to share my experience at the Western National Round Up Livestock Judging Contest held in Denver, Colorado! (By attendee Mj Temple)
My family and I arrived a few days early, which gave us time to explore the city and enjoy some downtime before the big event. The day before the contest, my team practiced at Colorado State University. It was interesting to see how different the livestock looked compared to Washington—Colorado animals had a more commercial appearance and were less flashy, which was helpful insight going into the competition.
On contest day, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. The event included judging 12 classes: five cattle, three swine, two goats, and two sheep. My favorite classes were the market lambs and Maintainer heifers. After judging, we presented oral reasons for six classes—a unique challenge that taught me a lot.
At the awards banquet, I was thrilled to place 9th overall in sheep! Our team ranked 11th overall, the highest placement Washington has achieved in the last five years. Individually, I placed 47th overall, which I’m proud of for my first time competing at this level.
This experience taught me valuable lessons, like remembering to breathe during oral reasons! I’m looking forward to improving my scores at the state competition in June.
My name is AunaJoy Mahan, and I was a participant in Washington’s 2026 national judging team. We took first at the state contest in Moses Lake, and chose to represent Washington at the National Western Roundup for our nationals, where we placed 11th as a team. I had Washington teams’ high score, and I’m so thankful that I got the opportunity to improve my personal skills. Being involved in a major agriculture event was a great eye opener for me, as it really let me realize how far someone with passion and dedication can go in this amazing industry.
Thank you again for your support Pierce County Leader’s Council —it made this incredible opportunity possible!
To prepare for the contest, we relied on group study practices and hands-on judging sessions with each others livestock. At the contest, being able to meet other youth in AG from all across the country was amazing, and getting a small peek at the incredible livestock quality in that area of our country was very exciting. I feel that overall, the NWSS was a highly informative experience, and was such a good event for Pierce’s judging team both as a group, and individually.
We’re also so very grateful to our coach, Anthony Fay, our parents who assisted our trip there, and our sponsors that have funded this experience!
4‑H Youth Participate in Sewing and Stitchery Expo
“Kids Can Sew Showcase”
Twelve members of the Amocat and Graham Crackers 4‑H clubs participated in the Kids Can Sew Showcase at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo at the Washington State Fairgrounds, showing off the garments they designed and sewed themselves. Kids aged 7 – 18 participated.
PC Fair Royal Court Ambassadors
We want to thank all that came out for the 2026 Pierce County Fair Royal Court Selection Day. Congratulations to the 4 selected to represent & promote the Pierce County Fair… Aleyna, Kasper, Ellie and Kailynn
The Royal Ambassador program is a scholarship program open to youth, ages 13-18, who exhibit at the county fair, and reside in Pierce County that would like to help promote the Pierce County Fair at various events leading up to August. The Selection consisted of interview questions, formal wear, talent and an impromptu question. Thank you also to our Teen Leader Eisley that helped at Selection Day.
