October 2026

At the September 27, 2026 Leaders' Association Meeting, the leaders approved $25 for any club that does a 4-H promotional or service project in the month of October. This is to promote 4-H week which is October 4-10, 2026. The theme for the week is "Beyond Ready," emphasizing how 4-H programs help young people develop essential skills and confidence for their future in college, careers, and life. Any club that does a 4-H promotional or service project in the month of October just needs to send Michelle Daly a picture/s of what they did by November 1 to get $25 from the Leaders Association.  

Please send information to: mdaly830@gmail.com 

Record Book Update

Due to the current staffing transition and not having a 4-H Youth Development Educator in place this year, record books will not be judged at the county level. While county judging will not occur, we strongly encourage club leaders, volunteers, and families to continue promoting the completion of record books.

Record books remain an important part of the 4-H experience, helping youth reflect on their learning, set goals, document achievements, and develop valuable life skills. Clubs may wish to recognize members who complete record books at the local level through club awards, certificates, or other forms of recognition.

We appreciate your continued support in encouraging youth to complete their records and celebrate their accomplishments throughout the year.

There will be a Lafayette County 4-H Leaders Executive Committee meeting for banquet planning on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at Noon at the Woodford State Bank Community Room. Any other leader that is interested in being part of the banquet planning committee, please let Michelle Daly know. Her email is: mdaly830@gmail.com  

Lafayette County 4-H Leaders Banquet will be on November 15, 2026, at the Multipurpose Building with lunch at Noon and Awards Program starting at 12:30PM. Immediately following the 4-H banquet, we will have our next Lafayette County 4-H Leaders' Association Meeting.

Clover Awards & Hillery Award, Meritorious Service, Volunteer, Friend of 4-H Award Nominations are due to Michelle Daly, by October 6. 

The Clover and Hillery Award guidelines along with a list of Clover Award recipients for 2025 and previous year's recipients for Hillery, Meritorious Service, Volunteer, Friend of 4-H Awards were sent to club leaders. It would be fantastic to have Clover Award nominations from all clubs again this year!

Ice Cream Stand checks will be given to club leaders at the Banquet. Thank you to all clubs for volunteering and to everyone that helped in any way! Also a special thank you to Lafayette County Dairy Promotion, Nutrien Ag Solutions-Mineral Point and Apple River State Bank for their very generous support!  We had a very successful fair thanks to everyone's support.

Programming information:

9:30-10:15 am - Farming with AI: Robots, Drones & More! – Drone Demo and Presentation with Zhou Zhang & Zezhong Tian, UW-Madison CALS Department of Biological Systems Engineering

See how drones collect information about crops, plants, and fields—and discover how this technology is changing agriculture. Discover how artificial intelligence is helping farmers solve problems, make decisions, and work smarter. See real-world examples of AI being used with crops, animals, robots, drones, and food—and learn what the future of farming might look like.

10:15-11:00 am - Smart Machines: Engineering the Future of Farming – Technology and Robot Demo with Jeff Nelson, UW-Madison CALS Department of Biological Systems Engineering

Discover how engineers use electronics, sensors, machinery, and technology to make farming more efficient and precise. See how tractors, machines, and precision-agriculture tools work—and explore how engineers are designing the next generation of equipment used on farms.

11:00-11:45- From Sky to Soil! - Drone presentation and Demo with Bryce Himmelbrg, UW Madison CALS Department of Plant & Agroecosystems

See how large spray drones are programmed and flown to help farmers care for their crops. Learn how drones can apply products to fields with precision, reach areas that are difficult to access with traditional equipment, and help farmers manage crops more efficiently.

12:00-12:45 -Stay for crafts, snacks and more! 

·        Snacks & drinks will be provided! 

·        Paint a pumpkin!

·        Explore the Arlington Research Station!

·        Veggie art lab!

Lafayette County 4-H Members: You're invited to participate in this exciting craft event being held in Dodgeville! This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill, be creative, and connect with other 4-H members.

Please note that members and their families are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the event. We hope you'll consider joining us for a fun-filled day of crafting and creativity! Be sure to register if you're interested. We look forward to seeing you there!

Journey through field, forest, wetlands, and urban areas to discover the wonders and mysteries of Wisconsin’s natural environment. Through 4-H environmental and outdoor education projects on topics such as environmental resource management, entomology, outdoor recreation and education, soils, wildlife, fisheries, and marine life, you will learn about the interconnection of people and nature. You’ll also develop respect and appreciation for and a sense of stewardship toward our natural resources. Enjoy time outdoors and develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment through three core theme areas:

Enjoy time outdoors and develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment through three core theme areas:

Basic science and ecology

Interrelationships and impacts

Health, wellness and positive outdoor experiences

Apply to the Wisconsin 4-H Ambassador Teams!

Ambassadors get unique opportunities to represent Wisconsin 4-H, develop leadership skills, and contribute to statewide programming. Beginning October 1st, youth in grades 9-12 can apply to join the Arts, Leadership, Agriculture, or NEW Outdoor Ambassadors.

Applications will be open October 1st-November 15th! Learn more here:

UW Extension- Iowa County

303 W. Chapel St. Suite 1200

Dodgeville, WI 53533

608-930-9850

dan.brandt@wisc.edu

Open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Monday-Friday

iowa.extension.wisc.edu

Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: info@extension.wisc.edu | © 2023 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities or limitations should be made prior to the date of the program or activity for which it is needed. Please do so as early as possible prior to the program or activity so that proper arrangements can be made. Requests are kept confidential.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.