Welcome to 4-H – we are so glad you’re here!

You’ve probably read all the basics about 4-H and what it means to be a member; but maybe you aren’t sure how to get started or what to do first.  4-H can be a lot to take in, as there is a lot to it!  It is more than just showing at the county fair, and hopefully we’ll be able to help you through it!  Let’s get it sorted out through this website!  Also, for more information you can check out our New Family Handbook as well!

In order to join a Taylor County 4-H Club, follow these steps:

What do you need to do to even begin when you are in the 4-H program?  Well, we have a short 4-H to-do list to help you through figuring out the first steps.

1. Find a club in Taylor County that fits both your youth and your family. You may also find the Taylor County Club Meetings Map helpful when making your decision.
2. Next, call the club’s leader and find out more information about the club and its members.  Most 4-H members join in the Fall, but new members can join at any time.  In order to show a project at the Taylor County Fair, new members must join by March 1 of the current 4-H year.  Returning members must re-enroll by November 1st.
3. Then, attend the 4-H Club Meeting with your parents and lastly, enroll your youth in 4HOnline. (See our Enrollment Guide 2022-2023 for information and a preview of 4-H Online)
4. Choose Projects that your youth are interested in through 4HOnline.  When you choose these projects you will then be added to the project email lists, so this is a very important task to do in order to stay in the loop with some of the different projects!
5. Check out resources (literature) through the Taylor County Extension Office by contacting the Positive Youth Development Educator.
6. Read our bi-monthly newsletter and latest bi-weekly email to get caught up on all things 4-H in Taylor County!
7. Remember important deadlines.
   • March 1 – Project Sign Up for Fair Deadline
   • September 1 – Re-enrollment process begins in 4HOnline
   • November 1 – Re-enrollment deadline
8. Wisconsin 4-H has their own 4-H policy, based off of the national requirements, that are expected to be followed.  Be sure to read over this policy when joining the program.  The complete policy can be found here.

Fair and 4-H

Taylor County 4-H members often participate in the Taylor County Fair. The Fair is NOT a requirement of any 4-H member, but it is a traditional, common event that many members participate in. The County Fair is operated and managed by the Taylor County Fair Board. There are many relationships between 4-H and the Fair, but it is not a part of 4-H. In fact, members from other youth organizations can participate in the fair, too.

That being said, you might see some similarities! If you look at the Fair exhibition handbook, you’ll see department names and classes that relate to our project list. The Fair is an opportunity for members to showcase the projects they have worked on throughout the year.

Projects

When you enroll your child in 4-H, it will ask you what projects your child will work on. Your child can pick as many projects as we offer (we offer a lot of projects!). Some families work backwards and look at the fair book for what their children want to exhibit in, and choose the projects required for that exhibit. You can add or change projects throughout the year in 4HOnline, but if your child plans to exhibit a project at fair, the deadline for picking that project category is March 1. There is no limit to the number of projects each member can select, visit our Project page to learn more!

Also, it is very important to sign up for these projects through 4HOnline as you will then get added to the emailing and/or mailing lists for those projects.  Not all projects do send out information via email or mail, but some of them do and it is very important to ensure that you are in the communication chain!

Literature

Once you’ve selected your projects, you can check out literature from the Taylor County Extension Office! The literature is research-based curriculum based on the project, to help your child excel in mastering his interest. The 4HOnline system will allow you to pick out literature during enrollment. If you wish to utilize literature, you can contact your club leader or the Extension Office to check out or use the literature.  Just stop on in to see what we have!

Clubs

Clubs are a way for members to get to know other members with similar interests or who live geographically close. Some clubs are based on specific projects. You can change clubs at any time in the year to find one that suits your children’s needs and interests.  Clubs vary by where, when, and how often they meet. Every club in 4-H practices inclusivity and no youth will be turned away if they want to join a specific club – it’s all about finding the right atmosphere and fit for your family!  Check out our Club Information page to see what our county has to offer!

County Communication

This is a great way to receive deadlines for all sorts of events, some that are pre-fair, and other events that are hosted by 4-H. The 4-H Flyer is our quarterly newsletter that gets emailed out to all 4-H families.  For families who plan to show animals at the fair, there will be special qualifications and deadlines based on the animal. These deadlines are published in the Taylor County 4-H Newsletter and also in the bi-weekly emails.

Re-Enrollment

Like any other youth organization, we have a membership year and ours runs from October 1 to September 30 every year. That means you will have to re-enroll your child every year they want to be involved in 4-H starting in September. The best part? All your information stays the same! But you may want to update those projects! Visit our Enrollment & Re-enrollment page to learn more.

Parents and other adults can also sign up to be leaders! Interested adults can contact Extension Taylor County 4-H at 715-748-3327 ext. 4 or ext.3 to learn more, or visit the Adult 4-H Leaders page.