{"id":18236,"date":"2026-02-09T18:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T02:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/?page_id=18236"},"modified":"2026-08-26T17:10:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T00:10:56","slug":"thurston-county-4-h-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/thurston-county-4-h-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"4-H News and Events"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"breadcrumbs \" typeof=\"BreadcrumbList\" vocab=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\"><span property=\"itemListElement\" typeof=\"ListItem\"><a property=\"item\" typeof=\"WebPage\" title=\"Go to WSU Extension.\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/\" class=\"main-home\" ><span property=\"name\">WSU Extension<\/span><\/a><meta property=\"position\" content=\"1\"><\/span> &gt; <span property=\"itemListElement\" typeof=\"ListItem\"><a property=\"item\" typeof=\"WebPage\" title=\"Go to Thurston County.\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\" class=\"home\" ><span property=\"name\">Thurston County<\/span><\/a><meta property=\"position\" content=\"2\"><\/span> &gt; <span property=\"itemListElement\" typeof=\"ListItem\"><a property=\"item\" typeof=\"WebPage\" title=\"Go to News.\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/news\/\" class=\"post-root post post-post\" aria-current=\"page\"><span property=\"name\">News<\/span><\/a><meta property=\"position\" content=\"3\"><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thurston County 4-H News<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Washington State 4-H Fair Opens Soon!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Washington State 4-H Fair opens Friday September 4th!  Below are important dates to remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Drop off your still life exhibits that received blue ribbons at the Thurston County fair to the WSU Extension Office on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27 from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/fair-resources\/state-4-h-fair\/washington-state-4-h-fair-guide-2026\/\">Washington State 4-H Fair Exhibitor Guide<\/a>&nbsp;for rules and instructions on how to enter exhibits. All static exhibits that received a blue ribbon at the Thurston County Fair, with the exception of educational displays, have been promoted\/entered in FairEntry. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please note &#8211; perishable exhibits (such as plants and baked goods) will need to be delivered by the individual exhibitor\u2019s family to the fairgrounds in Puyallup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All animal entries must be entered in Fair Entry by September 10. Animal exhibits have been promoted\/entered in FairEntry.  Email <a href=\"mailto:tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us\">tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us<\/a> if you have questions about your animal entries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exhibitors who are taking animals, plants and baked goods, or are participating in contests (judging, presentations, archery, etc.) may pick up entry passes at the WSU Extension Office Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>General information and exhibitor letters for animal and shooting sports projects can be found on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/fair-resources\/state-4-h-fair\/\">Washington State 4-H Fair<\/a>&nbsp;website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The state fair grounds will be closed Sept 8th &amp; 9th and every Tuesday after that.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Livestock weekend is Sept 18 \u2013 Sept 21.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us\">tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us<\/a>&nbsp;if you have questions, or need assistance with your entries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-backgroundu002du002dgray-0 wsu-color-background--gray-0\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left wsu-heading--style-marked\">Leaf It Up: Spokane and Thurston County 4-H Youth Growing More Than Microgreens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>From article posted in the August WSU Extension Newsletter<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What started as an idea to address food insecurity has grown into a youth-led movement that is making an impact across Washington State and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"396\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-396x238.png\" alt=\"Two photos of teen conference students assembling microgreen kits\" class=\"wp-image-26972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-396x238.png 396w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-729x438.png 729w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-768x461.png 768w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-1536x923.png 1536w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/08\/c7017b61-9e6a-5187-f361-ab49c03a39b0-2048x1230.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Leaf It Up was created by Spokane and Thurston County 4-H Youth Advocates for Health (YA4-H!) teens after learning that many college students experience food insecurity. Working alongside Washington State University Extension, the teens designed easy-to-use microgreen growing kits that include seeds, grow pads, a reusable growing container, spray bottle, scissors, a fun \u201cgarden pet,\u201d and QR codes linking to growing instructions, recipes, and evaluation resources. Each kit costs less than $2 to produce, making the project both economical and sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2025 Washington State 4-H Teen Conference, more than 100 youth from across the state assembled over 600 Leaf It Up kits which were distributed to 11 college campus food pantries throughout Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project was selected as one of only three national finalists in National 4-H Council\u2019s Lead to Change initiative. Spokane and Thurston County teens presented their project to nearly 2,000 youth and adult leaders from across the country at Ignite by 4-H in Washington, D.C., earning second place nationally. They created a replication Leaf It Up Toolkit for other states. Washington State teens also joined forces with University of Idaho 4-H at their teen conference. Teens from both states worked together to assemble 150 microgreen kits that were distributed to college campuses across Idaho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the national recognition was exciting, the greatest success has been watching young people realize the power they have to create meaningful change. The teens developed leadership, public speaking, problem-solving, collaboration, and project management skills while addressing a real need in their communities.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-backgroundu002du002dgray-0 wsu-color-background--white\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left wsu-heading--style-marked\">Thurston County 4-H Council<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon-729x729.png\" alt=\"Volunteers are the heart of 4-H\" class=\"wp-image-26013\" width=\"182\" height=\"182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon-729x729.png 729w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon-396x396.png 396w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon-198x198.png 198w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/05\/Volunteerism-Icon.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 182px) 100vw, 182px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">The Thurston County 4-H Council meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.&nbsp;unless otherwise announced.  The Thurston County 4-H Council is our county-wide advisory board.&nbsp;Enrolled 4-H volunteers and 4-H teen leaders are encouraged to attend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android:&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/wsu.zoom.us\/j\/93309005414?pwd=HShMbbRqVy3imWxTEAFREu9PhmMZX6.1\">Council Zoom Link<\/a>  Meeting ID: 933 0900 5414 Passcode: 345746<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-backgroundu002du002dwhite wsu-color-background--gray-0\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left wsu-heading--style-marked\">4-H EP14 Policy Reminder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">To help keep all young people safe, WSU is requiring all 4-H clubs to register all youth events, including club meetings and activities, under the&nbsp;Protection and Safety of Minors Policy (UPPM 50.32).  Any 4\u2011H activities that were not reported to the Thurston County 4-H Office before the December deadline should continue to be submitted before they occur.  Please email information about your events, including description of the event, date, beginning and end times, and address where the event will be held to <a href=\"mailto:tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us\">tc4h@co.thurston.wa.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">Read about the&nbsp;Protection and Safety of Minors Policy (UPPM 50.32) to learn more.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--single\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-backgroundu002du002dgray-0 wsu-color-background--white\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading wsu-heading--style-marked\">Important Dates to Remember:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>August 26, 12:00 pm &#8211; 7:00 pm, Drop off state fair static exhibits at the WSU Extension Office<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August 27, 12:00 pm &#8211; 7:00 pm, Drop off state fair static exhibits at the WSU Extension Office<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> September 4 &#8211; 27, Washington State 4-H Fair<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>October 1, Enrollment for the 2026-27 4-H year opens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-row wsu-row--sidebar-right\" >\r\n    \n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-background--gray-0\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n<div class=\"wsu-card__wrapper wsu-per-row--3\">\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"js-wsu-events-card wsu-events-card \"\n\t\tdata-component-id=\"ab0024c464644249b6f418924148e379\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-type=\"feed\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-search=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-data-source=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-count=\"5\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-offset=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-no-results-message=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-display-fields=\"location,description\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-post-ids=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-exclude=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-types=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-categories=\"23\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-tags=\"16\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-organizations=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-locations=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-column  wsu-color-background--white\"  style=\"\">\r\n\t\n\n<p>Go to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/4h\/news\/\">Tuesday News<\/a> to find out what\u2019s happening in 4-H statewide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wastate4h\/\">Washington State 4-H WSU<\/a> Facebook page for statewide 4-H opportunities and announcements.<\/p>\n\n\n<section  class=\"wsu-section wsu-dropshadow--low wsu-spacing-before--none wsu-spacing-after--xxmedium wsu-spacing-top--medium\"  >\r\n        \n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/04\/Clover-with-transparent-background.png\" alt=\"Photo of 4-H logo\/clover \" class=\"wp-image-24872\" width=\"130\" height=\"135\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-font-size--large\">Quick Links<\/h2>\n\n\n    <nav class=\"wsu-navigation-vertical wsu-vertical-menu\">\n        <ul id=\"wsu-site-menu\" class=\"wsu-menu-collapse wsu-menu-collapse--style-vertical\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/\">Thurston County 4-H<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/join\/\">Join 4-H!<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/become-a-volunteer\/\">Become a 4-H Volunteer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/thurston-county-4-h-newsletter\/\">4-H News and Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/4-h-leaders\/\">Resources for 4-H Leaders and Members<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/fair-resources\/\">Fair Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/forms\/\">Award Nominations and Scholarship Applications<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/thurston-county-4-h-leadership-2\/\">4-H Leadership<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/youth\/4-h-curriculum\/\">Curriculum and Kits<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>    <\/nav>\n\n    <\/section>\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta  wsu-ctau002du002dwidth-full\" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WSUThurstonCounty4H\/\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button  wsu-buttonu002du002dsize-small wsu-buttonu002du002dstyle-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"wsu-icon wsu-i-social-facebook\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\n\t\tFacebook\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta  wsu-ctau002du002dwidth-full\" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thurstoncounty4h\/\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button  wsu-buttonu002du002dsize-small wsu-buttonu002du002dstyle-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"wsu-icon wsu-i-social-instagram\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\n\t\tInstagram\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thurston County 4-H News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":0,"parent":312,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_wsuwp_accessibility_report":null},"categories":[4],"tags":[16],"cahnrs_clean_page_nonce":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18236"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18236"}],"version-history":[{"count":123,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26975,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18236\/revisions\/26975"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/thurston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}