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Clover Connection
Rowan County 4-H Newsletter
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Rowan County 4-H is running full speed and it's been super busy (thus why there was no May newsletter)! This newsletter is for "Summer 2026" will be for the months of June & July. The next newsletter will come out in August; however if there is something major for me to share, I will send it out separately.
In this newsletter find information on:
-FINAL CALL for Rowan County 4-H Evaluation & Needs Assessment for 4-H families & community members
-Summer Fun reminders/updates
-Rowan County 4-H Dairy Heifer Project (applications due by July 1)
-Rowan County 4-H Broiler Project (registration is due by July 24)
& more
If you need to reach me this summer, please email me first at laura_allen@ncsu.edu. I am not in the office and by the phone all the time due to Summer Fun, a week at Millstone 4-H Camp, and a week at NC 4-H Congress. Plus, it's summer and there are days I'm taking off to be with my own family. I am definitely most accessible by email.
Hope you and yours have the best summer! I'm excited to spend time with your kids this summer through their 4-H involvement!
Please click "view entire message" at the end.
Click here for Rowan 4-H page on Facebook
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Intern Reagan Returns for the Summer!
Many of you met our intern Reagan Brown from January-April as she interned with Rowan County 4-H to complete her Bachelor's of Social Work from Appalachian State.
Now, Reagan has returned as the Summer Intern for Rowan County Cooperative Extension. She is helping throughout all program areas in our office, but still has a huge presence within our 4-H program. Come by and say hi to her and be on the lookout for her this summer! She will be with us through the end of July.
We are so thankful to have Reagan with us this year!
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4-HOnline is OPEN for 2026 enrollments! If you plan for your child to participate in 2026, please get enrolled NOW. If you are a returning 4-H volunteer, ENROLL NOW!
**If any changes need to be made to your child's enrollment after it has already been approved, please email laura_allen@ncsu.edu and I can update it on the backend of the system (particularly any new medical concerns, allergies, custody changes, etc).
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Rowan County 4-H
Save the Dates
(this does not include club meeting dates/times, PALS meetings or County Council meetings. Those can be found elsewhere in the newsletter or through contacting laura_allen@ncsu.edu).
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Upcoming Meetings
County Council: for youth ages 12-18 years old as of January 1
**If your child is 12-18 as of Jan 1 and they are interested in County Council, please email Laura to get on the County Council email list for all reminders and updates for this group!
-Next County Council meetings:
-August 4, going to Rowan Helping Ministries to volunteer. Must pre-register with Mrs. Laura to attend. Email was sent on on June 4 with all details and what you need to do to attend. If you did not receive the email, please contact Mrs. Laura.
PALS: These meetings are for any parent, alumni, leader or supporter of Rowan County
4-H. If you are interested in 4-H or new to 4-H, you are invited to attend these meetings as well! Please come share your ideas for 4-H and help us find ways to support Rowan County 4-H.
Next meetings:
-August 25, 6:15-8:30 pm at the Extension office. This will be our annual 4-H Volunteer Training & Meal.
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Want to check out pictures at 4-H Events?
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LAST CALL for completing the
2026
Rowan County 4-H Evaluation & Needs Assessment
DUE BY JUNE 18
If you haven't already, please take 15 minutes to complete the form. If you are reading this, then this evaluation & needs assessment is for you to complete!
**If your family is not involved in 4-H or your child is in 4-H but not in a 4-H club, then you will be directed to questions that apply to you and you will skip the club questions.
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According to the 2022 Ag Census, Rowan County ranks 8th in the state in milk production. The dairy industry has a rich history in our county and 4-H helps educate the next generation on dairy knowledge and practices. Did you know that it takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese? Did you know that cows have one stomach made up of 4 different compartments: rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum?
Come learn dairy knowledge and so much more during our 4th annual Rowan County 4-H Dairy Heifer Project! Participants will spend time interacting with local Jersey dairy heifers and will each show a heifer during the annual dairy show at the Rowan County Fair.
This project is a huge time commitment, so please read all of the rules and guidelines before having your child complete the application.
Youth must apply to participate and applications are due by July 1. All applications will be judged and the participants will be announced by July 10.
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PREPARE NOW for completing
4-H Project Record Books & Portfolios for the 2026 year!
**They will be due January 13, 2027.**
Project Record Books (if you need any printed, please let Mrs. Laura). A NEW digital Project Record Book system is supposed to roll out in 2026. More details will be shared as the state rolls it out.
What is a 4-H Project?
Don't forget about
Achievement Plans, too!
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Rowan County 4-H Broiler Project registration is
OPEN in 4-HOnline "events". Register NOW!
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HORSE: If you want to stay up-to-date on all things related to the NC 4-H Horse Program, click here to sign up to receive their newsletter. Click here to access the main page for the NC 4-H Horse Program to learn more.
If interested in participation in 4-H Horse Bowl, Hippology, or Horse Judging, please contact Mrs. Laura to learn about upcoming practices to prepare for 2027 contests.
All NC 4-H Horse Show (district & state) information can be found here.
LIVESTOCK: Rowan County 4-H is already practicing for the 2026 NC 4-H Livestock Judging contest, held in in late July/early August. This opportunity is led by 4-H volunteer Eric Deal. Contact Mrs. Laura if interested.
DAIRY CATTLE: If interested in participating in the NC 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest or the NC 4-H Dairy Judging contest in 2027, please contact Mrs. Laura. Practices will start in Fall/Winter 2026 or early 2027.
POULTRY: The 4-H Poultry Judging contest is held annually in July. Practices are happening now. This is led by the Rowan 4-H Agent & Rowan Livestock Agent. Contact Mrs. Laura if interested.
If you are interested in participating in or learning more about ANY of these opportunities, please contact the Rowan County 4-H Agent at laura_allen@ncsu.edu.
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Club Report: Grow-Getters 4-H Club
Submitted by: Henry Waller, Reporter
Early this year the Rowan County Grow-Getters 4-H Club was able to put in a garden. We have been studying and learning about the plants as they grow. We are enjoying watching the garden grow peppers, basil, flowers, tomatoes, and eggplant.
Here is a picture of the garden from this week.
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4-H Shout Outs
Congrats to the Rowan County 4-H'ers who competed in the NC 4-H Dairy Judging contest on April 10 in Winston Salem. Our junior team of Eli Knox, Anna Waller, Mary Waller, and Aislinn Watts placed 6th overall. Sadie Allen competed as a junior individual and Abigail Wood competed as a senior individual.
Congrats to Kyann Race and Abigail Wood, Happy Trails 4-H Club members, who competed in the NC 4-H Horse Judging competition in Martin County on April 11. Abigail was recognized as the 10th place individual in the Senior Rookie Division.
A job well done to all those who completed and submitted the Rowan 4-H Event Grants by the April 15 deadline. Our 501c3, PALS, awarded many merit grants to our 4-H'ers to help them financially attend events like 4-H Camp, 4-H Congress, Summer Fun, shooting sports tournaments, and more.
The Rowan 4-H School Enrichment Program was in full swing this Spring!
-The 4-H Embryology Project in 2nd grade classrooms included 1 spring cycle with 38 classrooms participating and reaching over 850 youth participants.
-The 4-H Butterfly Project was in Kindergarten classrooms with 54 classrooms participating, reaching over 1,080 youth participants. Thanks to all the teachers who participating in this hands-on learning opportunity for their students!
On Friday, April 24, youth participated in 4-H Presentations & a 4-H Talent Show as part of our Rowan 4-H County Activity Day. We had 21 4-H Presentations & 4 Talent Show participants. All of the 4-H Presentations youth qualified to present at District Activity Day on June 17.
4-H Presentations:
Cloverbud (5-7) Age Division
Calvert, Bennett
Chester, Ezra
Thompson, Kurt
Yost, Kathleen
8-10 Age Division
Gersten, Berkley: Citizenship/Community Service, 1st place
Waller, Ada: Family & Consumer Sciences, 1st place
Johnson, Abigail: Family & Consumer Sciences, 2nd place
Allen, Sadie: Fisheries & Aquatics, 1st place
Ramage, Jake: Foods & Nutrition, 1st place
Gersten, Olivia: Hospitality, Etiquette & Social Graces, 1st place
Chester, Josiah: Horticulture Science, 1st place
Erdman, Larkin: Small & Companion Animal, 1st place
11-13 Age Division
Calvert, Milas: Digital Media, 1st place
Tucker, John: Environmental Science (Soil & Water), 1st place
Erdman: Layla: Foods & Nutrition, 1st place
Allen, Luke: Wheels & Engines, 1st place
14-18 Age Division
Wood, Abigail: Careers & Entrepreneurship, 1st place
Croyle, Nathan: Digital Media, 1st place
Saieg, Amir: Digital Media, 1st place
Saieg, Joshua: Beef Char Grilling, 1st place
Croyle, David: Technology, 1st place
Talent Show (ages 8-18):
Croyle, David*
Saieg, Sophie
Waller, Ada *
Waller, Henry
*=qualified for District Activity Day
Thanks to those who helped collect donations at Tractor Supply during Paper Clover Week!
We had a very successful 4-H Port-a-Pit fundraiser on May 6! Thanks to all those who supported or assisted in any way (ordering plates, selling plates, advertising the fundraiser, and working during the event). We had 37 different youth receive credit for orders and that is awesome! Special thanks to our top 3 sellers: Sam Nguyen (1st), Sadie Allen (2nd), Nathan Croyle (3rd).
Rowan 4-H'er Nathan Croyle traveled to Washington, D.C. in April for National 4-H Conference. He won this opportunity by participating in the AIRE competition through NC 4-H.
On May 2, 12 Rowan 4-H'ers completed their participation in the 4-H Piedmont Rabbit Project by competing in a show held at the Rowan County Fairgrounds. During this multi-county project, 4-H'ers cared for owned or borrowed rabbits over a nearly 2 month period and then finalized the project at the show. Congrats to all of our Rowan youth who participated: Marie Basinger, Milas Calvert, Georgia Fritz, Baylee Householder, Kate Lingle, Olivia Moysan, Sawyer Moore, Tallulah Ennis, Lainey Plott, Ada Waller, Henry Waller, Addie Webster. Special congrats to Lainey Plott who won Best of Show with her Silver Fox rabbit!
4-H'er Kyann Race recently competed in the South Central District 4-H Horse Show, where she qualified for the State 4-H Horse Show in July!
Drew, Brittany, Henry & Ada Waller will be serving as a host family for the NC 4-H International Exchange program in July/August. If you see them, be sure to meet their delegate from Japan!
Mason Gabosch applied for and was recently awarded two NC 4-H Scholarships, which are available to graduating seniors. He received the Dr. Clarence Poe scholarship ($1000) and the Edward Gore/General Hugh Shelton 4-H Scholarship ($2000, then renewable for $1500 for 3 more years).
Congratulations to 4-H'er John Tucker who placed 3rd in the National AI Challenge in the 13-15 age division! You can click here to learn more about his project.
Rowan County 4-H will be taking 25 youth (ages 8-14) to Millstone 4-H Camp on June 21-26. We will also be taking 5 youth to the NC 4-H Electric Congress on July 14-16 and 8 teens to the NC 4-H Congress on July 20-24.
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Rowan County 4-H Volunteer Corner
For registered 4-H volunteers with Rowan County 4-H!
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Rowan 4-H Volunteer Reporting for 2026
If you are registered as a 4-H Volunteer in 4-HOnline it is super important that you report your hours and contacts! This greatly assists Laura with her Extension reports every year, since your hours and contacts must be reported!
Please go to go.ncsu.edu/2026rowan4hvolunteercontacts and complete your reports. Reports are due 10 days after the end of each month (January contacts due by Feb. 10). Email reminders will be sent to those who should be completing reports. It should only take about 5 minutes!
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NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Extension's 4-H program is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina. We help over 247,000 young people grow into active, contributing citizens each year.
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