Fayette County 4-H

10/16/2026

We are very excited to see everyone for our first Building Bricks 4-H Club meeting!! An email went out to everyone who signed the interest form with details on how to officially enroll along with club meeting information. (If you do not see the email, check your spam folder or go to https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/97/1794526797.html to view it.)

Olivia will be there tonight to answer any 4-H questions and assist with enrolling.

10/15/2026

Enrollment for the 2026-27 4-H year is officially open! Southwestern Electric Cooperative has once again graciously committed to sponsoring the first 125 enrollment fees for Fayette County 4-H. Go to 4h.Zsuite.org to re-enroll today!

10/14/2026

Great opportunity for all our building bricks and LEGO enthusiasts!!

Fall is build season: Enter your "fall fun" creation in our free build contest.

Youth ages 8 to 18: 4-H build season has arrived! Compete in our free virtual Building Brick Challenge Series to show off your original plastic building brick builds.

The October contest theme is “Fall Fun”. Create an original build showing off your favorite fall activity and submit it for a chance to win fun buildable prizes!

Entry deadline is 11 PM October 31

View complete contest details at go.illinois.edu/4HBuildSeries.

10/09/2026

Fayette County 4-H will be at the Vandalia, Illinois Farmers' Market this Saturday!! Stop by our booth for a fun little craft, or grab some information on upcoming programs!

🍂🎃 ONE MORE MARKET! Let’s Finish the Season Strong! 🎃🍂

It’s hard to believe, but Saturday, October 10 is our FINAL Vandalia Farmers’ Market of 2026! We may be a smaller market this month, but this little harvest basket is going to be packed with activities, music, fall fun, and community! We invite you to join us!

📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 5th Street next to Vandalia City Hall

🇺🇸 Our final America 250 theme of the season is:
“A Harvest 250 Years in the Making: Rooted in History. Grown in Community.”

Here’s what we have planned:

🌱 Fayette County 4-H will have a fun nature-inspired Seed Mosaic activity, with kids creating pumpkins or ghosts using beans and other materials.

🎃 10:00 AM Pumpkin Decorating for the kids!

🎶 We’re excited to welcome the Vandalia Community School District band programs for live performances during the market from 10am-11am!

🍂 The Soroptimist International of Vandalia will be joining us with their popular scarecrows for sale, just in time for fall decorating!

🥕 And, of course, come support our six Farmers’ Market vendors who will be bringing their local products for our final market of the year.

🛍️ PLUS, the Vandalia Picker’s Market will have nine vendors along Gallatin Street and will be open from 8:00 AM–2:00 PM.

❤️ As we wrap up the season, we also want to say THANK YOU to every farmer, grower, baker, maker, organization, volunteer, partner, and shopper who has been part of our markets this year. We’ve loved celebrating America’s 250th with you while supporting local businesses, teaching our kids about agriculture, and bringing our community together.

Come help us give the 2026 Farmers’ Market season a proper fall send-off! 🍁🌽🎶🎃

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

Celebrating National 4-H week by recognizing our top record keepers! Fayette County 4-H members submitted livestock records, officer books, and a specialized My Experience applications. We are excited to report back our top picks!

Officer Records
Secretary: Mya Schaal – Golden Harvestors
Treasurer: Addilyn Friesland – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas
Historian: Casey Hill – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas

Livestock Records
Beef: Emmalyn Wright – Loudon Bunch
Goats: Maci Abendroth – Loudon Bunch
Horse: Madelyn Moore – St. James Hornets
Poultry: Auni Wollin – Sefton Clovers
Rabbits: Rhilynn Miller – Loudon Bunch
Sheep: Khylee Miller – Loudon Bunch
Swine: Auni Wollin – Sefton Clovers

My Experience Awards
Gold
Evelyn Cole Crockett – Ramsey Senors & Senoritas
Silver
Emmalyn Wright – Loudon Bunch
Ethyn Wright – Loudon Bunch
Bronze
Hayzel Miller – Loudon Bunch
Madelyn Ruhl – Loudon Bunch
Rhilynn Miller - Loudon Bunch

Thank you to everyone who submitted a record to be reviewed, and congratulations to our top record keepers!!

10/07/2026

It's National 4-H Week!! Which means the return of Fayette County 4-H's Recycled Scarecrow Contest! We have two exceptional entries this year, both bursting with creativity! It was very difficult for our judging team to pick first and second place this year, and we are happy to announce our winners….

Loudon Bunch – 1st Place

“The Loudon Bunch 4-H group met at the township building on September 27, 2026. The group made recycled scarecrows for a 4H fall contest offered by the 4-H Extension Center. Members brought reusable products, household items, and clothing to decorate. Each 4-H officer had 6-8 kids in each group to creatively reuse items brought. A background story was also made by each group to bring their scarecrows to life. For example, your scarecrow went to a fancy ball or a fall festival with its scarecrow family! Before the members went home, they cleaned up the unused items and enjoyed a snack together. Last year, Loudon Bunch received 3rd place and an ice cream party. They look forward to seeing what this year will bring!”
Written by Stella Sap, Loudon Bunch 4-H member

Caprine Kids – 2nd Place

‘Don’t lose your head! Join 4-H instead!’
Everything pictured is repurposed/recycled with the exception of the sign. Straw and leaves were used to stuff the scarecrow.
Whether standing in a field or used for Halloween, scarecrows are meant to be scary. Our club combined scary with kid friendly for 4H week!

10/06/2026

10/06/2026

Stargazers Club meeting TONIGHT at 7:30 PM!! We are so excited to start off with such a beautiful night for stargazing. We will meet in the parking lot of the YMCA in Vandalia, near the road. (You'll see us set up with the telescopes.) It will get chilly as the sun sets so bring a jacket or hoodie!

Emails have been sent out to everyone on the club interest list with more details. If this is your first time hearing about the Stargazers Club (formerly known as the Astronomy Club) and you would like more information, reach out to Olivia Snyder at [email protected] and she would be happy to answer your questions.

Whether you're a budding astronomer or simply curious about the stars, Fayette County 4-H's Astronomy Club offers a unique chance to explore the wonders of the universe. Over the course of 6 meetings, plus bonus events, participants will engage in exciting activities such as stargazing, learning about planets, constellations, and how to use different types of telescopes.

One-time enrollment fee of $10. Club members will receive a set of astronomy tools to keep. Open to youth ages 8-18 years old. Enrollment in this Special Interest 4-H Club will grant participants equal access into 4-H local and state events.

Check out the registration page for more information: https://go.illinois.edu/FayetteCo4-HStargazersClub