Dairy, Dog, Horse, Poultry, Pygmy Goat, and Rabbit Forms are due to the Office by June 1st.

At this time of the year, there are several documents that need to be submitted for 4-H youth with animal projects.  If you have a dairy, dog, horse, poultry, pygmy goat, rabbit or leased projects, please read the information below carefully.

All forms need to be returned to the Howard County Extension Office by Monday, June 1st. Please make sure to complete the paperwork now and go ahead and mail it to us.  Remember … our office does not have a place to drop/leave paperwork on nights or weekends.  Please make sure you have mailed them, so they arrive on time.  Thanks!  If you can sign and scan the paperwork you can email them to Rick hodiak@umd.edu

On the envelope, please write Attn:  4-H Registration Forms.

  • Dairy Cattle – if you are leasing a heifer please print, fill out and have all party’s sign.  If you have a scanner, you can scan and send to hodiak@umd.edu otherwise mail to the Howard County Extension Office.
  • Dog 4-H Identification Card: For each dog you will use to be part of your 4-H project, a care Dog ID card needs to be completed.  For example, if you use one dog for agility and a different dog for obedience, then you need to complete a card for both dogs. The Dog ID Card is a fillable pdf.  You may have to click on download to make it fillable. You can email it to hodiak@umd.edu when you complete the form and we will get the dog leader to sign.  If you lease a dog, you need the Performance Animal Lease.
  • Horse 4-H Identification Card: For each horse that will be part of your 4-H project, you need to complete a Horse ID Card.  You cannot exhibit a horse at the county or state fairs in the 4-H show that you have not completed a card for, therefore, if you have more than one horse available, it is recommended to complete a card for each Horse.  The Horse Card is a fillable pdf.  You may have to click on download to make it fillable.  You can email it to hodiak@umd.edu when you complete the form and we will get the horse leader to sign.  If you lease a horse, you need the Performance Animal Lease.
  • Rabbit Registration Form: All 4-Hers with rabbits are required to complete a project registration form.  This year the form is online and you will need to complete, print out and submit it to the Howard County Extension Office.  Remember to enter your meat rabbits.
  • Poultry Registration Form: All 4-Hers with rabbits are required to complete a project registration form.  This year the form is online and you will need to complete, print out and submit it to the Howard County Extension Office.  Remember to enter your broilers and turkeys.
  • Pygmy Goat Registration Form: All 4-Hers with pygmy goats are required to complete a project registration form and submit the form.  If you are familiar with he Market Livestock Registration form, this essentially the same form but for pygmy goats.
  • Lease Forms: If you are leasing an animal, you need to complete the

These forms DO NOT replace the process for completing fair entries. It will still be your responsibility to complete entries for the fair for the July 1st deadline.

If you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact Rick at hodiak@umd.edu

When paying for 4-H events check need to be made payable to:

University of Maryland
Ascend One Building
8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25
Columbia, MD 21045
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UPCOMING EVENTS, INFORMATION AND DEADLINES

On-Line Animal Husbandry and Quality Assurance  (AHQA) Program is Open

All 4-H members enrolled in the following species - alpacas, beef, dairy, goats, horse and pony, llamas, poultry, sheep, swine and rabbits must be current on their AHQA completion requirements to be eligible to exhibit their project animals in 2026 Maryland County 4-H and State 4-H Shows.

You must complete the AHQA if:

  • New to 4-H

  • Changed from Junior to Intermediate or Intermediate to Senior

  • Add a new specie

You will be able to self check after June 1st at https://howard4-h.net/countyfair/last_name.php

The online AHQA training program  https://ahqa.umd.edu/

Howard County 4-H Camp - June 21-27

We are excited to announce that the Howard County 4-H Residential Camp will be held June 21–27, 2026, at the Western Maryland 4-H Education and Camping Center in beautiful Garrett County, Maryland. This one-week program takes place on a scenic 1,100-acre site and is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), ensuring a high-quality and safe camp experience.

Residential Camp is open to all youth ages 8 (as of January 1, 2026) through 14. The camper fee is $600 for the week.

  • You may pay with a credit card through Eventbrite - $642.09 incl. $42.09 Fee
  • Make checks payable to:  University of Maryland

Campers will enjoy a wide variety of activities in a fun, outdoor setting, including arts and crafts, canoeing, swimming, hiking, archery, sports, a ropes course, riflery, campfires, and a talent show.

Our mission at Howard County 4-H Camp is to promote youth development by building life skills in a safe and inclusive environment. We encourage independence, teamwork, and lasting friendships through engaging, hands-on experiences at an outdoor overnight camp.

An orientation for parents and campers will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Orientation Attendance is required.

Online registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. 4-H members will receive priority registration through April 20. After that date, registration will open to all youth ages 8–14 and will remain open until all spaces are filled. We encourage families not to wait, as camp fills quickly.

Need-based scholarships are available for those who qualify.

For more information, please contact Chris Rein at 410-313-1915 or Crein@umd.edu.

2026 4-H Enrollment:

Enrollment for members and volunteer is open.  We would like everyone enrolled by March 1st.  Please note that 4-H Online has a new landing page. It is super easy. Sign In if you are a returning 4-H member, or Sign Up if you are new to 4-H Online. 

The Qualtrics Survey must be completed after watching the video for new and returning volunteers:

New Volunteer

Volunteer Refresher

4-H Office is closed - The County Government Energy Saving Days:

Our 4-H Office is affected by the Howard County Government Energy Saving Days. During these days the Ascend One Building will be physically closed to the public, staff will be working remotely to ensure the needs of community members are still being met and are accessible via email. Please make note of the following days for the rest of this year:

  • March: 30th - April 2nd and the 3rd holiday
  • June:  29th - July  2nd and the 3rd holiday
  • August:  3rd - 7th - the week before the fair
  • November: 23rd - 25th - 26th & 27th holiday

2026 Special Awards:

We are looking for your support.  We have special awards for the 2026 Howard County Fair in need of sponsorship.  Since we had no awards last year we may have a number of awards that become available.  Please check availability often.

Maryland 4-H Annual Report

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2026

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Enrollment Information

As the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension System of land-grant universities, 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, empowering six million young people throughout the United States. Cooperative Extension of 1862 and 1890  land-grant universities provide the leadership to engage young people in 4-H in all 3,007 counties of the United States.

4-H'ers belong to 4-H Clubs that meet in local communities.  University of Maryland Extension Volunteers help youth learn life skills to become caring, competent and responsible individuals through club work, community service, and 4-H project curriculum.  4-H members work with their club leaders to develop their educational plans for each year.  These plans might include community service projects, speakers, field trips, or learning activities.

4-H'ers participate in county-wide programs organized by volunteers and University of Maryland Extension faculty.  These programs include activities such as fashion shows, camps, public speaking contests, workshops, and more.  With so many community clubs and specialty clubs in Howard County, there is always something to do in Howard County 4-H.

Please click on the Club Information link to find specific information about joining a club and the 4-H clubs in Howard County.

To join the Howard County 4-H program, you will need to complete the online enrollment process.  Please keep in mind that we ask potential members to attend at least one 4-H meeting prior to enrolling in the online system.  

Current re-enrollment for the 2025 is currently open and the link to register is https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in. 

Volunteers

Please check back for the updated process.

Officer Training

The Central Maryland 4-H Cluster is pleased to announce the release of a virtual Officer Training resource that was created to help our 4-H club officers.  

The direct link to the resource is: https://go.umd.edu/MDofficertraining

Since this is a google presentation, anyone viewing will need to select the present mode. 

Once that has been done, click through the different images and words to take you to the next

slide. (Be sure to click around and have fun!).  If you wish to go back at any time, click the purple
“BACK” button at the bottom left of your screen.

For more information, please see the informational flyer.

2026 Howard County 4-H Member Policy

2026 Howard County Club Policies and Guidelines

For more information about the Howard County 4-H Program please contact one of the following:

Sheryl Bennett

4-H Youth Development Educator

410-313-1912

sherylb@umd.edu

Chris Rein

4-H Program Coordinator

410-313-1915

crein@umd.edu

Thomas Mooring

4-H Program Assistant

410-313-2711

tmooring@umd.edu

Rick Hodiak

4-H Program Admin

410-313-1914

hodiak@umd.edu