Mat-Su/Copper River District 4-H Program

05/29/2026

Sounds like a cool 4-H project 👀👀👀👀

🐝 New publication alert! The publication "HGA-00501, Building Pollinator Habitat into the Alaska Garden" covers twelve tips for attracting and supporting pollinators in your own yards and gardens. The publication is available from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service publication page in both web and pdf formats. https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/gardening/building-pollinator-habitats.php

05/27/2026

Have you ever wanted to host an exchange student but cannot commit for a school year?

Do you have a child in your home age 13 to 18?

Do you have an extra bed and a place to keep personal items?

Do you want to share YOUR Alaskan experiences?

Then States' 4-H International Exchange Programs is the program for you.

Host a student from Japan or Korea in the summer of 2026.

Make lasting friendships and memories for a lifetime.

July 21st to August 16th.

State-wide placements

Apply to host today!!!
www.states4h.org or contact Chandra at 907-715-9174

05/26/2026

🎨✨ CALLING ALL MAT-SU/COPPER RIVER 4-H ARTISTS! ✨🎨
The 2026 Alaska State Fair 4-H Exhibitor Guide Cover Art Contest is NOW OPEN!
🎡 Theme: “90 Years With You” 🎡
Help celebrate the Alaska State Fair’s 90th Anniversary through original artwork created by 4-H youth! Bonus points for artwork that gives a special nod to June Tull and the history of Alaska 4-H exhibits 💚

🖍 Any art medium welcome
🌈 COLOR submissions only
💻 Digital art allowed
🚫 No AI-generated artwork
📱 Smartphone photos work great!
📧 Submit entries to: [email protected]
⚠️ One email per entry
🗓 Deadline: June 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM

🎉 NEW THIS YEAR 🎉
Every eligible artwork submission earns a raffle entry for CASH PRIZES!
💵 5 raffle winners
💵 $40 each
💵 $200 total awarded

🏆 Featured artwork WILL appear throughout the 2026 Exhibitor Guide and may be used in promotional materials connected to the Mat-Su/Copper River District Volunteer Leaders’ Association.

🎂 Winners announced during the Pet Rock Show & Cake Contest on June 19!

(Youth do not need to be present to win.)
We can’t wait to see what you create! ✨

05/12/2026

05/11/2026

🎨✨ CALLING ALL MAT-SU/COPPER RIVER 4-H ARTISTS! ✨🎨

The 2026 Alaska State Fair 4-H Exhibitor Guide Cover Art Contest is NOW OPEN!

🎡 Theme: “90 Years With You” 🎡

Help celebrate the Alaska State Fair’s 90th Anniversary through original artwork created by 4-H youth! Bonus points for artwork that gives a special nod to June Tull and the history of Alaska 4-H exhibits 💚

🖍 Any art medium welcome
🌈 COLOR submissions only
💻 Digital art allowed
🚫 No AI-generated artwork
📱 Smartphone photos work great!

📧 Submit entries to: [email protected]
⚠️ One email per entry
🗓 Deadline: June 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM

🎉 NEW THIS YEAR 🎉
Every eligible artwork submission earns a raffle entry for CASH PRIZES!

💵 5 raffle winners
💵 $40 each
💵 $200 total awarded

🏆 Featured artwork WILL appear throughout the 2026 Exhibitor Guide and may be used in promotional materials connected to the Mat-Su/Copper River District Volunteer Leaders’ Association.

🎂 Winners announced during the Pet Rock Show & Cake Contest on June 19!
(Youth do not need to be present to win.)

We can’t wait to see what you create! ✨

05/11/2026

The MS-CR Livestock Council is proud to award scholarships to three outstanding youth as they take their next steps in education, leadership, and agriculture.

These recipients represent the hard work, dedication, and bright future of Alaska agriculture. We are excited to see all they accomplish in the years ahead! 🌟🐄🌾

Reese N. — Reese plans to continue taking classes through UAF to earn a degree in Animal Science and work toward becoming a Large Livestock Veterinarian.

Lydia H. — Lydia plans to work toward becoming a farrier and providing service and care to livestock and equines in Alaska.

Isabella P. — Isabella plans to work toward a degree in biochemistry in order to develop sustainable agriculture.

Congratulations again, and thank you for the positive impact you’ve made in 4-H, FFA, and the agricultural community! 💚

05/07/2026

This family looks familiar to us :)

A wonderful piece about Alaskan Ag

"Alaska has one of the smallest agriculture industries in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but it's growing.

Some in the industry say more producers are needed, but several economic factors make it hard to get started, especially for young Alaskans."

Alaska has one of the smallest agriculture industries in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but it's growing.

Some in the industry say more producers are needed, but several economic factors make it hard to get started, especially for young Alaskans.

Read more in the comments. ⬇️

04/24/2026

04/20/2026

Colorado 4-H The State 4-H Horse Work Team will be offering a variety of free online webinars for those involved in 4-H Horse related projects (Horse, Miniature Horse, Horseless Horse, and any other county specific projects that involve horses) to help supplement the 4-H members’ educational experience. These are available to members, parents, or volunteers!
The next session is April 23rd - Horse Hauling/Trailering Safety
Time: 6PM
URL: https://zoom.us/j/98227902145

All sessions will be recorded and posted at a later date on the Colorado 4-H website.

04/13/2026

The 2026 theme logo is here! ✨ Local artist Ruth Hulbert designed the logo based on this year's Fair theme “Celebrating 90 years with you”. Stay tuned for the 2026 commemorative poster!”

🎨 About the artist:
Ruth Hulbert is a fourth-generation Palmerite and lifelong Alaska State Fair attendee with a deep interest in local history. Lately she’s been working part-time for the Palmer Museum rummaging through the Matanuska Historical Photo Project collection and writing about local events ninety years ago, thinking about how history repeats and resonates in the present.

Ruth explains the logo:
"The Fair’s 90th anniversary inspired imagery of cycles and seasons, wheels turning, and the favorite traditions, skills, and natural and agricultural rhythms which connect today’s Fair to its past and future. And the Fair’s theme “Celebrating 90 Years With You” inspired a sheep pun (credit to my cousin Luci for that).

The ewe is a Rambouillard because that breed was known to be at the Matanuska Experiment Farm in 1936 and is probably the same breed imported for the farmers of the Matanuska Colony Project, and would likely have been at the first Matanuska Valley Fair. Wool connects agriculture to crafts: the spinning wheel is my grandma Fran Hulbert’s, and the woman spinning wool is based on a photo my grandma took of her teacher Vickie Cole giving a spinning demonstration at the Fair in 1977 while holding a baby. Grandma Fran passed the wheel and her fiber-arts skills to my cousin Amber, who knit the sweater with the moon-phase collar (which won a blue ribbon in 2023). The quilts in the background are from photos of the quilt exhibits at the 1936 Fair, except the “Broken Star” design has been slightly altered – there’s a pattern named “Ferris Wheel” which is the same as “Broken Star” but with the blank squares replaced by the block pattern “North Star.” The Ferris wheel, if you look closely, is carrying the Cabbage Fairies, which brings things back around to the Fair’s agricultural roots."