Learning from others at the state fair
A purple ribbon for a first state fair project? That was the unexpected — yet exciting — outcome for Jed Wagner, a 2025 4-H alum from Freeborn County.
After bringing produce from his garden for the past 10 years, this year was the first Wagner got to enter it at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Building. Compared to county fair judging, which is one-on-one with a judge, state fair conference judging provided a new learning opportunity. Wagner said he liked being able to comment on other 4-H’ers’ projects and to learn what worked for them, including strategies that were different than his own.
Wagner, who was also a state arts-in participant in 2025, brings a different self-determined project to the county fair each year. For him, that’s part of the fun of 4-H: You can go in with an open mind and learn a lot about any topic that may interest you.
Highlights
- Ryanna R., a Freeborn County 4-H’er, is a Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador. She likes learning from projects in photography, crafts and fine arts, and gardening. Vannah F., also a 4-H State Ambassador, serves on the youth animal science leadership team.
- A farmland rental rate meeting in Albert Lea covered local, historic and projected farmland rental rate trends, current farmland values and sales, and a worksheet to help determine a fair rental agreement.
- Chad Billat, a private lands biologist, participated in Class 15 of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Leadership Institute. Participants build proficiency in such critical areas as communication, team building and visionary leadership that provide them with the skills to do effective conservation work across Minnesota.
- U of M Farm Family of the Year: The Rognes family
- RSDP impact: With support from a CERTs Seed Grant, the Hillcrest Community Cooperative of Clarks Grove replaced siding and single-pane windows and added wrap and insulation to its office and apartments, providing comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient living for low-income tenants and residents.
- Cynthia Gilbert, a Master Gardener volunteer in Freeborn County, raised funds to buy a pollinator education kit so she could deliver the latest research and pollinator programming in her county.
- The Climate Adaptation Partnership is helping characterize future flood and drought extremes in the Le Sueur watershed, equipping natural resource managers, farmers and communities with education and resources to inform resilience strategies.
Freeborn County office
Extension has 14 regional offices supporting all 87 counties in Minnesota.
Freeborn County partners with Extension to deliver practical education and research you can use at home, at work and in your community. More about Extension in our county.
About the Minnesota 87 project
Spend time in any Minnesota county, and you will almost certainly encounter University of Minnesota Extension. Our faculty and staff, volunteers, participants, alumni and partners are woven into the fabric of rural, urban and suburban Minnesota life. This project showcases Extension in action through photos, stories and a sampling of the many ways Extension has touched the lives of people in every county.