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New York State 4-H

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4-H empowers 170,000 young people across NY with the skills to lead for a lifetime!

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It’s 4-H Week and today is Thankful Thursday! 🍀 Swipe to learn the 4-H Pledge and what each H in 4-H means: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.

4-H has been an important part of the NYS Fair for over 100 years, and is an exciting opportunity for young people to exhibit, submit projects, work together, and learn! Annually, we receive around 500 teen 4-H leaders who welcome fairgoers to the Youth Building, help with hands-on activities, and so much more.

We’re very thankful for 4-H and the commitment to help young people grow into competent, caring, community-focused adults. Thank you @nys4h! #4HBeyondReady

Youngsters learn how to judge dairy cattle during the 4-H Youth judging in the Dairy Cattle Building at the NYS Fair on Aug. 21, 2025.

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The State Fair 4-H Dog Show was held at the Fair on Monday morning, Aug. 25, 2025.

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Karoline Dininny and Brynn Mills, both of Steuben County. Dininny won Champions Showmanship, Junior Division in the 4-H Dairy Goat Fitting and Showmanship competition at the NYS Fair on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2023. Mills took Master Showman, Junior Division.

🍀 Top photo:
Kieran Dwyer, 14, of Marietta, NY works to clip his show cow at the NYS Fair on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2026. Dwyer showed in both 4-H and open classes.

🍀 Bottom photo:
Luke Bertram, 16, of Homer, NY washes his calf on the opening day of the NYS Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. Bertram showed through the week in both open and 4-H classes.

🍀 Top photo:
Izzy Robinson of Farmington, NY competes in the 4-H Barbeque Contest at the NYS Fair on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.

🍀 Bottom photo:
4-H Youth Health Ambassador Rose Rella of Central Valley, NY creates her own smoothie using pedal power at the NYS Fair, on Aug. 21, 2014.
The smoothie bikes were part of 4-H and UnitedHealthcare’s partnership called “Eat4-Health”. The partnership helped tackle obesity by promoting healthy eating and lifestyles among youth and families. With her from left, is Kristal Spencer of Binghamton, NY, Dr. Health E. Hound, and April Turner of Central Valley, NY. The bikes were located in the Youth Building.

It’s 4-H Week and today is Thankful Thursday! 🍀 Swipe to learn the 4-H

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💚🍀 GO GREEN FOR 4-H! 🍀💚

Today, we’re turning our community 4-H green!

We’re excited to celebrate Go Green with a special local landmark! The Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, NY, will be lit up green tonight in celebration of 4-H Week! When you see that bridge glowing green, remember that it’s more than just a color, it’s a celebration of learning, leadership, service, and growth!

So, grab your favorite green shirt, sweatshirt, hat, socks, or even a fun green accessory and show off your 4-H spirit! Wearing green is a simple way to help spread the word about the amazing opportunities 4-H provides to youth!

Green represents the growth, learning, and opportunities that are at the heart of 4-H, from hands-on projects and new experiences to leadership, community service, friendships, and unforgettable memories, 4-H gives young people a place to learn, grow, and discover all they can accomplish!

We also invite you to wear green when joining us this Saturday, October 10th, from 10am-2pm at the Ulster County Fairgrounds for the Ulster County 4-H Fall Festival!

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Your kids don’t have to grow up on a farm to benefit from agricultural youth programs.

4-H, FFA and programs like dairy ambassadors give young people opportunities to build confidence, practice public speaking, take on responsibility and grow into leadership roles.

As @_tess.amanda_ , a 4-H educator with @ccemadisoncounty, says: “They are our future CEOs.”

If your kids are curious, encourage them to get involved. Agriculture has room for them, too.

#WomenOfDairy #4H #FFA #AgEducation #FutureLeaders

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At The Great New York State Fair, Wyoming County 4-H’er Alaina and her pig, Iris, took on the Youth Swine Show.

In the ring, Alaina works to keep Iris in the judge’s view while showing how well they can move and respond as a team. But showing swine has helped Alaina grow beyond the show ring, too.

Watch as Alaina shares how she overcame her fear of competing in front of a crowd.

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A sneak peek inside the 4-H Youth Building at The Great New York State Fair!

4-H projects fill nearly every corner, with projects ranging from woodworking and clothing to detailed models and original artwork. Each creation reflects hours of learning and hands-on work by a New York 4-H’er.

Stop by the Youth Building during your next visit to the Fair! Colorful painting of a cow surrounded by sunflowers and other flowers.

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The goats showed up in style for the 4-H Goat Costume Contest at The Great New York State Fair!

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Congratulations to Kathy Burns of CCE Onondaga County, who received the Women in Agriculture Friend of the Fair Award today at The Great New York State Fair!

Kathy leads the Voice of the Farmer Garden on the State Fairgrounds, where fairgoers can see growing crops and learn what really goes into producing our food, successes, challenges, and all.

The award recognizes Kathy’s work bringing CCE’s educational mission to life at one of New York state’s largest public gatherings, and helping people better understand where their food comes from.

Read more about Kathy’s work and impact — 🔗 Kathy Burns smiles while standing among the plants in the Voice of the Farmer Garden at the New York State Fairgrounds.

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At The Great New York State Fair, 12-year-old Raelyn from Steuben County 4-H showed her Boer meat goat, Jenny, in the Youth Meat Goat Show.

Raelyn’s approach is simple: walk into the ring like you own it, and believe you’re going to win. That mindset helped her take Grand Champion in Master Showmanship, where exhibitors are judged on how well they handle their animal.

Headed to the Fair? Stop by a 4-H show and see what young people from across the state have been working toward all year.

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PRYDE scholars kicked off the semester with a visit to the Great New York State Fair this weekend, where they got a firsthand look at how 4-H helps young people across the state learn, create and grow. 🍀🎯

Scholars from the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE) explored projects created by 4-H youth, learned more about the skills and experiences they gain through the program and even got some hands-on instruction at the 4-H archery activity.

“At the fair, I noticed that the 4-H youth crafted creative projects based on how they see the natural world and you could truly see how 4-H allows youth to express themselves freely, thus creating such creative and informative art pieces. Very talented bunch!” said Janier James ’27.

Diya Singhal ’28 was surprised by the breadth of the experience for young people.

“I was really struck by the incredible range of projects 4-H youth take on, but even more so by how much they learn beyond the technical skills - from problem-solving and communication to confidence, responsibility, and independence.”

For PRYDE director Kristen Elmore, the annual visit gives scholars an opportunity to see youth development in action.

“In our trip to the Fair, PRYDE scholars see what 4-H programming really means for youth. We imagine what youth learn about themselves as they master the art of baking or raise a chicken from the moment it hatches,” she said. “This year scholars got hands on instruction from one of the 4-H program leaders at the Archery activity, and a couple students discovered a hidden talent!”

Photo Credit: Marilu Lopez-Fretts

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4-H members from across New York are showcasing their culinary skills at the New York State Fair.

Ann Supa, 4-H UNITY and nutrition educator from CCE Broome County, gives the inside scoop on how these culinary creations get judged.

It’s not just about taste and presentation. Judges provide valuable feedback that actually helps participants grow. Because at the end of the day, the ribbon color matters way less than what these young chefs walk away having learned.

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Kate, Eve and Amelia of CCE Suffolk County’s 4-H program put their goat-grooming skills to the test at the Great New York State Fair.

Like a competitive baking show — but with goats — the fitting competition gave them a limited amount of time to wash, clip, groom and style a dairy goat for the show ring. Together, they combined experience with curiosity and worked as a team to meet the challenge.

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A trip to The Great New York State Fair isn’t complete without a stop in the Youth Building.

Inside, 4-H’ers from across the state are showing off projects they’ve spent months creating, building, growing and perfecting.

This year’s exhibits include everything from a working LEGO Ferris wheel and handmade furniture to beadwork, photography, sewing, quilting, crochet and miniature worlds built down to the tiniest detail.

Swipe through for a look at just a few of the projects on display, then stop by the Youth Building and see what else you can find. Colorful LEGO display featuring a large Ferris wheel surrounded by miniature buildings, figures and other details.

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