April 15, 2026

Marie's Message

Because of your time, care, and commitment, young people in Dodge County 4-H are growing into confident, capable individuals who feel seen, supported, and valued.

Youth consistently tell us that caring adults make the difference.

Because of you:

- Nearly 80% of youth have met adults through 4-H who can support their goals and future opportunities
- Most youth feel listened to, respected, and taken seriously
- Many say adults encourage their ideas, push them to grow, and believe in their potential

Youth also share that volunteers help them:

- Feel safe and welcome
- Discover new interests and talents
- Build leadership, confidence, and responsibility
- Find their voice

“My 4-H club is one of the main reasons I found my confident self.”

These outcomes don’t happen by chance. They happen because you show up, listen, guide, encourage, and care.

Thank You

Thank you for investing your time.
Thank you for believing in youth.
Thank you for making 4-H a place where every young person can grow.

Your impact lasts far beyond the program.  💚

Data source: Dodge County 4-H Youth Program Quality Survey

Sincerely,
Marie Witzel
Positive Youth Development Educator
marie.witzel@wisc.edu
920-386-3790

If clubs or groups have items to share, send them by noon on Monday to be included in that week’s issue. Anything received after 12 p.m. Monday will be considered for the following week. 

Please send any 4-H or youth development related emails to marie.witzel@wisc.edu

Lakeside 4-H (Kennedy Neitzel) - Lakeside 4-H hosted their annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4th, which was a successful event with a strong turnout. Participants collected a considerable amount of food for The Gathering Source in Reeseville, (131 pounds!!) along with additional treats and toys. Several new babies had the opportunity to meet the Lakeside Easter Bunny for the first time as well.

Astico Perseverance (Blake Kurth) - The April 6, 2026 Astico Perseverance meeting was held at Elba Town Hall with 24 members present, and reports included a Family Learning Day basket‑weaving activity. New business approved spending $50 on supplies for Dairy Good Helper bags for local fire and police, and members were reminded to watch Band for updates on mulch/flower pickup, roadside cleanup, and livestock DNA tags for the fair.

Hyland Prairie (Ryver Ressel) -  The Hyland Prairie 4‑H Club met on March 12 with 14 members present and enjoyed member demonstrations on making bird feeders and reusable flowers. The club reported successful recent fundraisers, including Family Learning Day raising over $430, and discussed upcoming events such as fair food stand shifts, summer camp at Upham Woods, and Fair registration.

We have some very excited camp counselors this year, including myself! Camp sign-ups will close at the end of April, and we would love for more of our youth to come and join us for a fun and exciting time at Upham Woods. We have many fun and exciting activities planned for this year, and we as camp counselors are excited to see you all at camp. We are ready to make this an unforgettable experience filled with fun and great memories for everyone!

Sincerely, 
Joshua Roberts
Executive Board Reporter and One of the Camp Counselors

The Watertown Badgers made a $50.00 donation to the Dodge County Humane Society. We are so grateful for their efforts in caring for these animals and finding the right families for them to join. Thank you! -- from the Dodge County Humane Society!

National 4-H Conference annually brings 4-H youth and adults from around the nation to work towards strengthening and expanding the 4-H Youth Development program at the local, state, and national levels. National 4-H Conference is the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s premier youth development opportunity to engage youth in developing recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program. The National 4-H Headquarters is charged with sharing the recommendations that emerge from the conference with the Secretary of Agriculture, National Extension Program Leaders, and others who determine 4-H programs. At the same time, the conference is a rich and meaningful experience for the youth and adult participants. 

For four days, 2026 Ignite Conference in Washington, DC, teens from all over the country come to D.C. to collaborate, connect, and cultivate a passion for expanding their minds and their world – becoming resilient and ready for everything life has to offer. Teens will immerse themselves in hands-on workshops, experiences, activities in their key programming areas of AgriScience, Animal Science, Community Accelerators, Healthy Living (featuring soccer), or STEM to continue to find their spark.

Action learning is a powerful problem-solving process that builds successful leaders and teams; it involves a small group working on a real problem, taking action, and learning together. Action Learning Project participants will research, plan, implement, and evaluate a group-initiated, community-engaged project that addresses a specific a need.

Show your Wisconsin 4‑H pride and support a great cause! The WI 4‑H Apparel Store is open now through April 15, offering a variety of apparel in both youth and adult sizes. Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Wisconsin Association of Extension 4‑H Youth Development Professionals (WAE4‑HYDP), helping support the professionals who strengthen 4‑H programs across the state.

Orders can be shipped directly to your home, or you can save on shipping by selecting delivery to your county Extension office, with pick‑up available at the end of May. Don’t miss this opportunity to support 4‑H and look great doing it!

We are sharing an Extension resource that some families may be interested in. Technology usage can be a point of friction with many families. The parenting class below is designed to support parents of children 13-18. This class is offered tomorrow, so if you are interested, register now by clicking the button below! 😀 

If you didn't pick up your tags last weekend, this coming weekend is your final chance! 

The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and the Dairy Innovation Hub are excited to announce the return of Badger Dairy Camp to the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus from July 9-12, 2026. The goal of this program is to educate youth about the breadth of areas that contribute to Wisconsin's dairy industry and the higher education and career opportunities available. The program includes hands-on workshops, tours, and recreational activities for youth ages 12-17 as of January 1, 2026. 

Registration is now open. The camp is limited to 100 campers, and applicants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Click the button to learn more and to register. You can also contact Megan Lauber directly at (262) 902-3156 or badgerdairycamp@ansci@wisc.edu.

Our 46th Annual Dodge County Dairy Brunch it will be held at the Dodge County Fairgrounds outside of Beaver Dam on Sunday, June 7th, 2026 from 9am until 12:30pm. With it not being on a dairy farm this year, we are trying something new and looking for organizations, clubs, companies, individuals, etc to set-up booths at our brunch to educate the public about different areas and aspects of dairy farming, general Wisconsin agriculture, and information about things in Dodge County. A wide range of topics can be talked about from feeding cows, maple syrup, pigs, machinery, public health, and more. There is no charge to set-up a booth. We just ask that you bring all necessary equipment you may need (ie table, chairs, etc) for a 10x10 area. Booths will be located inside of the Youth Dairy Barn. There is plenty of room in the barn, so we are hoping to bring as many educational booths to the fairgrounds as we can. You are also free to promote your business, club, organization, etc at your booth as well. If you would like to have a booth, please fill the Google Form linked below with just some general contact information for us. If you have any questions, please let me know either via this email or give me a call at 262-224-2559. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Brenda Conley
Dodge County Dairy Promotion Committee

Beaver Dam Recreation contracts with Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio to offer a five-session sewing camp for kids. This year it will be from June 15-19. Each day they make a fun project- a t-shirt pillow, lounge pants, an apron, a bucket hat and a log cabin quilt. The activity runs from 9am-3pm, and kids need to bring their own lunch. All materials are included! Register through Beaver Dam Parks and Recreation.

Camperships are available to help cover the cost of youth camp for families who may need financial assistance. These funds help ensure that all youth have the opportunity to experience camp—building confidence, making new friends, and learning through hands-on outdoor activities.

If camp costs are a barrier, we encourage families to apply for a campership and give their child the chance to enjoy a meaningful camp experience. 

Please sign up to help at the Cream Puffs & Carmel Apple Slices stand, the WWA Ice Cream Booth, Fish Pond, and 4-H Promotion Booth! 

Dodge County Farm Bureau/4-H Food Stand – 2026

 Dodge County Farm Bureau appreciates the partnership Farm Bureau and 4-H have had for many years with the Fair Food Stand. There have been some challenges with filling shifts for the past several years. Dodge County Farm Bureau has made some changes for 2026.

• Sign up for the Food Stand will be done through Dodge County Farm Bureau via Signup Genius. Information and the link will be provided for the Wednesday Focus on 4-H.
• 4-H Clubs will have first priority to sign up. Any shifts not filled by May 1 will be
opened up to other youth groups. 4-H can still sign up after May 1, but it is Farm
Bureau’s goal to have all shifts filled by June 15.
• Starting in 2026, 4-H Clubs will receive a donation of at least $200 per shift for
volunteering rather than the total amount going to the Dodge County 4-H Leader’s
Association. This amount will be reduced if the designated number of workers does not
show up or if workers leave early.

Dodge County Farm Bureau looks forward to continuing the long-established relationship with Dodge County 4-H in working together in the Dodge County Farm Bureau/Dodge County 4-H Food Stand at the Dodge County Fair.

⚠️ Update for Thursday, April 23. County Horse Project Meeting: meeting location is at W7693 County Road E, Beaver Dam at 6 pm. This will be a demonstration night for you to learn about farrier work with Toby and equine massage with Megan. We will split into two groups and rotate. Bring a chair for the meeting that will follow the demos.

APRIL

21 - Leader's Association Meeting 7pm

PYD Media Collection Project Resources Follow the link to learn more about the collection and request materials.

4HOnline  Log in to your account at the Wisconsin 4-H Online Sign in page

Visit the Wisconsin 4-H Website

WI 4-H Policy Updates

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

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension
Dodge County 4-H
Extension Dodge County  127 E. Oak Street  Juneau, WI 53039-1329
tel: 920.386.3790    fax: 920.386.3928