Calling all 4-H clubs: Submit decorated Pumpkin to Event at Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Friday, October 17, 2025 (drop off between 9am-4pm)

All 4-H clubs are invited to decorate a pumpkin and have it displayed at the Boo-Tiful Pumpking Walk & Craft Fest at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum which will take place the next evening, on Saturday, October 18 from 6-8pm.

Dropping off a decorated pumpkin on October 17 for the exhibit is free - click on the flyer for all details. (Participating in the Frelinghuysen Arboretum family craft event and viewing the pumpkin displays October 18 is $20 per family - more information about the event can be found on the Morris Parks page: https://www.morrisparks.net/events/boo-tiful-pumpkin-walk-and-craft-fest/).

Farm-to-Table Experience - Bergen County 4-H

Event date: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10am - 1:30pm
Registration was due by October 13

Grades 6-8

Join Bergen County 4-H for this free Farm-to-Table event at the Bergen County Community College on Sunday, October 19 from 10am to 1:30pm.

Learn what it takes to grow your own produce, care for livestock, and prepare a delicious meal using local ingredients!

Hands-on workshops in culinary skills, MEVO Farms, 4-H Animals, and the Montclair Community Farm Stand

The day will include a locally sourced lunch to be enjoyed by youth and their families catered by Bergen County farmers, food trucks, and the MCF Farmstand.

Registration was due by October 13: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bCNgG68FmsP0Lxs

4-H Trunk-or-Treat

Saturday, October 25, 2025, 11am-1pm

We will hold our third annual 4-H Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 25 from 11am-1pm. This year, it will be at High View Farms again and include a corn maze along with games, activities, and treats, of course. The event is open to the public and free for trick-or-treaters.  Don't miss the costume parade at 12:30pm! 

4-H clubs, families, and volunteers are invited to come and decorate their cars. Registration to offer a decorated car / space (for 4-H clubs, families, or non-profit groups): https://forms.gle/bxMdbgDNfEvQ4dXA8 

Local businesses and groups are welcome to participate or be a sponsor.  Contact Valerie Smit (vsmit@co.morris.nj.us) for more details.  

Rutgers 4-H Teen Cafe - A Sentinel Mission

Saturday, October 25, 2025, 11am-1pm
Grades 9-12

Join the NJ 4-H STEM Ambassadors and Rutgers Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences on a wild mission to circumnavigate the global ocean using cutting-edge underwater tech.

Find out why college students are leading the charge, and how you can be part of this epic adventure.

WHERE: Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, 71 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

WHEN: October 25, 2025, 11 am - 2 pm 

Register here: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8pkynkdrlyOQQrI while spots are available. Lunch will be provided.

News or Nonsense Workshop

Saturday, November 1, 2025, 3-4pm
Ages 11-18

Morris County 4-H is proud to partner with Gina Marcello, Ph.D. Associate Teaching Professor of the Journalism and Media Studies Department at the School of Communication and Information of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. 

Register here for this free, fun, hands-on workshop that explores the world of online media. Explore the role of AI in journalism and learn how to spot AI generated content.  Whether you get your information from Tik-Tok or the New York Times, it's important to be able to tell fact from fiction.

Is that a genuine ad from your beloved celebrity or is it AI generated content? The presence of AI in our world is getting larger and larger and it's important know how to detect fraud from a reliable tool. 

Join us on Saturday, November 1st, 3-4pm at the Morris County 4-H office (Rutgers Extension Services) at 550 W Hanover Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960

Register here now: https://forms.gle/an1pE2Q77r5PkbLZ9

Promote 4-H at local events

4-H will have a table or booth at many events in Morris County throughout the year. All 4-H families are invited to participate (talk to visitors about 4-H and your club, offer an activity, hand out flyers, bring your friendly animal - if permitted at the event, and help with the set-up and take-down). It is a lot of fun! Please contact the group if you would like to be included: mc4hpromotions@gmail.com. Or simply support 4-H and the events by visiting and stopping by at the 4-H table to say Hi. 

• Riamede's Christmas at the Farm - November 8

• Tractor Supply Clover Campaign - November 28 - December 14

• 4-H tree decorating for Arboretum’s Festival of Trees - drop off ornaments by December 3 (see separate post)

• Home for the Holidays at the Roxbury library - December 6, 11-3

Morris County 4-H Awards Ceremony

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Morris County 4-H invites all member families to join us at the Awards Ceremony to honor 4-H members and leaders receiving county level and higher awards in recognition of their work during the 2024-2025 4-H program year. This year we have a new venue for our annual Awards Ceremony: the beautiful multi purpose room in the Library and Media Center of CCM. 

When:

• Saturday, November 15, 2024, Doors open at 2:30pm, Program starts at 3:00pm

NEW LOCATION:

• County College of Morris, Library & Media Building, LRC 121, 214 Center Grove Road, Randolph, NJ 07869

RSVP by November 5: https://forms.gle/soidpoEFpboTe1fR6 

And please bring a snack to share. Thank you!

4-H Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply

November 28 - December 14, 2025

Tractor Supply nationwide supports 4-H by raising money at their Clover Campaign in the Fall and Spring. The proceeds of the fundraiser will go in parts to National 4-H (10%), the State 4-H office, as well as the local county 4-H, meaning us! Find out more about the National Campaign here: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/cms/4h

We are lucky to have not just one but two Tractor Supply stores in Morris County: Flanders and Rockaway.

Clubs are invited to set up a table in one of the stores during the campaign so shoppers can learn about 4-H and know who will benefit from their paper clover purchase. (Contact the store before to coordinate.) 

4-H Holiday Tree @ the "Festival of Trees" 

Ornaments drop off by Wednesday, December 3 at the 4-H Office
December 12, 19, and 26, 2025 between 10am - 4pm at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum

The "Festival of Trees" will be open on select days in December, admission by the Frelinghuysen Arboretum is $10 per person for their event.

Our 4-H tree at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum's Festival of Trees the last three years was a hit! It was so much fun to see all the different handmade ornaments - and all the other trees too, of course. 

All 4-H clubs are invited to make ornaments that show what their club is all about. 

The ornaments can be dropped off at the 4-H office by Wednesday, December 3 during office hours (M-F, 9-4). Alternatively they can be brought to the tree decorating at the Arboretum Mansion on Friday, December 5 at 1pm (please let us know so we can coordinate). 

No unwrapped edible items, flammable things (candles), confetti, glitter, artificial snow, live plants or flowers etc. should be used as part of the ornaments / decorations or during the decorating. 

We can't wait to see this year's creations!

The Festival of Trees Exhibit at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum is open to the public on December 12, 19, and 26. Tickets are $10 per person: https://www.morrisparks.net/events/festival-of-trees/ 

Cookie Decorating for a Cause

December 13, 2025

Calling all 4-H members and families. Come decorate cookies with us to benefit Nana's Gift, a non-profit organization providing underserved children in Northern New Jersey with gifts during the holiday season.

WHERE: 4-H Office, 550 West Hanover Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960 (off Raynor Rd and Morris View Dr)

WHEN: Saturday, December 13, 2025, 1-5pm

Not available on the 13th but want to participate? No problem - drop off your cookies to be decorated, finished ones, or supplies at the office before.

Please let us know here what you would like to help with so we know how many to expect:
https://forms.gle/56Hoh2Nj4GLVze9H6

New Jersey 4-H License Plate

A group of civic minded 4-H teens who participated in the Legislative Leadership Experience have come together with the idea of having a 4-H clover specialty plate in NJ. Other states have done this and it’s time for NJ 4-H to join the movement!

We’re working on getting a legislative sponsor for a bill to make this happen, and the first step is to gauge interest from NJ motorists this summer. Please help us by adding your name, town, and county to this interest survey: https://go.rutgers.edu/nj4hplate 

Click on the flyer to print / share. If you're interested in joining this movement, contact Warren County 4-H Agent, Alayne Torretta, at torretta@njaes.rutgers.edu. 

2025 Fall Archery Golf Classic Tourament

Register by: October 19, 2025
Event Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
For members registered in a 4-H shooting sports club

The Somerset county On Target Archery Club will be holding their annual Fall Classic Archery Golf Tournament on October 25. Members enrolled in a 4-H shooting sports club are invited to participate and need to register by October 19. Registration Fee is $15. See the flyer for more details and register here: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIjF3cYcfK-i8gooedGrhwnPHhrpyHH7XNCdF373Ivb_PzXA/viewform?usp=header

4-H AG-Venture Days - Fall Harvest

Register by: October 27, 2025
Event Date: Thursday-Friday, November 6-7, 2025

Somerset 4-H invites youth in grades 1-5 to the Fall Harvest AG Venture Days on November 6-7, 8:30-4:30 at the Somerset 4-H Ted Blum Center in Bridgwater.

This will be two full days of agriculture workshops designed for the fall season! The cost is $90 per participant and registration is required by October 27th.

Workshops include:

• Farm-to-table experiences with potatoes, apples, pumpkins, corn, cranberries, honey & butter making

• Cooking demos

• Fall florals

• Fall art in ag

• Community service

• ...and more!

Scan the QR code on the flyer, use this link: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a8W2sd47BEPQQGW or call (908) 526-6644 to register!

4-H Model United Nations

Register by November 7, 2025
November 17 - January 19, 2025
Grades 6-8

Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation of the United Nations where students represents countries and debate real world issues It’s a chance to step into the shoes of diplomats, learn about global challenges, and collaborate on solutions in a formal setting.

In Model UN, you join a team, research global topics, deliver speeches, negotiate with other delegates, and collaborate to draft resolutions. 

You will learn about and practice public persuasive speaking, parliamentary procedure, current global issues, how to dress for success, and gain diplomacy skills.

Register here: GO.RUTGERS.EDU/NEMVQE4B

4-H Hip Hop Dance Workshop

Saturday, November 8, 2025
Grades K-6

Register now before the workshop fills up.

Somerset 4-H invites youth in grades 1-5 to the Fall Harvest AG Venture Days on November 6-7, 8:30-4:30 at the Somerset 4-H Ted Blum Center in Bridgwater.

This will be two full days of agriculture workshops designed for the fall season! The cost is $90 per participant and registration is required by October 27th.

Workshops include:

• Farm-to-table experiences with potatoes, apples, pumpkins, corn, cranberries, honey & butter making

• Cooking demos

• Fall florals

• Fall art in ag

• Community service

• ...and more!

Scan the QR code on the flyer, use this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNcqR04krcHDoJnH_lLO5tHGAN2PdxrmZZht4MIhV-SZiphA/viewform

National 4-H Congress

November 28 - December 2, 2025
Applications were due to the County 4-H office July 9, 2025 

Grades 10-12 as of September, 2025

National 4-H Congress is a unique leadership opportunity for 4-H members from all 50 states. The event focuses on leadership, youth empowerment, community service, career development, and cultural diversity. The event brings over 1,000 4-H members to Atlanta over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. There are many outstanding visits and  workshops along with keynote addresses that round out the experience. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for 4-H members.

New Jersey sends approximately 10-20 4-H members and two adult chaperones to the event each year. One to three delegates are nominated from each county and then final delegates are selected through a state interview process. The cost of the event is approximately $1,650 and includes air transportation, registration, lodging, and most meals. All interested 4-H members must be in grades 10-12 at the time of the trip, must complete an application and go through a county and state selection process. Participants can only attend this event one time during their 4-H career. Please ask for scholarship applications if interested. The application for National 4-H Congress can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RTMYDEHESKRMCnFBdxHYMPFdg29ApVCr/view?usp=drive_link

For more details click here: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/leadership/nat4hcongress/

NJ 4-H Camp Winter Gathering

Saturday, December 6, 2025, 2-6pm

At L.G. Cook 4-H Camp

Winter Gathering is our cold-weather summer reunion, December open house and Camp Family holiday party. (It's also a great opportunity to bring along a few friends you'd like to introduce to what we do here at L.G. Cook 4-H Camp.) You'll get to catch up with some counselors and campers alike, and participate in some wintry crafts and campy activities. Most importantly, Winter Gathering is a great midway point between last summer and next summer, designed to provide just a little taste of Summer Camp to last the rest of the winter season. As always, this event is free of charge.

CWF @ Ignite (Citizenship Washington Focus)

Event Dates: March 24-29, 2026
Registration was due: September 26, 2025

Grades 9-12

Our cornerstone leadership experience for teens passionate about civic engagement, public policy, and advocacy as pathways to community change makes its way to Ignite by 4-H. Participants will strengthen their understanding of the democratic process and cultivate leadership skills rooted in civic responsibility. With this foundation, they’ll discover how local action can spark impact on national and global levels.

During the CWF program week, delegates will:

• Strengthen communication, leadership, and civic engagement skills, and adding CWF to Ignite will give teens access to even more career, life, and skill-building workshops than before!

• Understand the importance of Youth Voice and the skills necessary to make change in their community, such as civil discourse and media literacy.

• Exchange ideas, practice respect, and form friendships with other youth from diverse backgrounds.

• Experience hands-on learning using the historical backdrop of our nation’s capital city, Washington, DC, as their classroom – visit monuments, memorials and museums to learn about important historical moments.

• Create a Lead To Change plan and work with fellow delegates to develop the steps and carry out the plan upon their return home, to make a difference in their communities.

• Visit with state representatives on Capitol Hill Day. 

CWF will be a “track” at Ignite and will not be completely separated from the regular Ignite summit. Delegates will attend all the Ignite events and workshops, in addition to the CWF track workshops and experiences. There is a county and state process for members to go through to be selected into the NJ Delegation to CWF @ Ignite. Contact the office to find out more. 

Applications were due by Friday, September 26, 2025 

NJ 4-H Junior Animal Science Symposium

March 28, 2026 

We are pleased to announce that the 2026 Junior Animal Science Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

We invite you to share the Save the Date flyer with your 4-H members, families, and friends. We’re looking forward to another exciting and educational event!

Registration will open on February 3, 2026, and at that time, session details and the registration link will be available on our website: https://nj4h.rutgers.edu/smallanimals/junior-symposium/