Ripley County 4-H
Welcome to the Ripley County 4-H Program! We're excited for the adventure that awaits you. 4-H provides youth with community, mentors, and learning opportunities to develop the skills they need to create positive change in their lives and communities. We want 4-H to be a safe place for all youth. Our 4-H mission is to give all youth equal access to opportunity. We have youth participate in 4-H from every school in Ripley County.
With more than 60 project areas, 4-H truly has something for everyone!
Contact Us and Quick Links
4-H Youth Development
525 W. Beech St.
Osgood, IN 47037
(812) 689-6511
ENROLL NOW IN 4-H!
The 2021-2022 4-H Program Year starts on October 1st! Traditional 4-H Members, Mini 4-H Members, and Adult Volunteers must enroll each year to participate in the program.
Enroll in 4-HRipley County 4-H Information
THE MISSION OF 4-H:
The mission of today’s 4-H is to help youth and volunteers develop through experiential educational programs, using the knowledge and academic base of Purdue University and the United States Department of Agriculture. It is accomplished through the direct involvement of youth, adults, and the community. 4-H educational programs are designed to empower young people to become independent and participating members of their family and community by creating experiences to build self-confidence, developing inquiring minds, encouraging interpersonal cooperation, developing concern for the community, and teaching decision-making through real-life participation.
THE 4-H PLEDGE:
I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
4-H MOTTO:
To make the best better.
4-H CLOVER:
The 4-H colors are green and white. Green symbolizes nature’s most common color. Green represents life, springtime, and youth, while white denotes purity. The H's on each clover represent the four h's of 4-H: Head, Heart, Hands, Health.
MEMBERSHIP:
More than 6 million young people are 4-H members throughout the United States. In Indiana, there are over 300,000 4-H members. In 2023 Ripley County 4-H enrollment was over 500 youth with 70 of them being mini 4-H members.
AGE FOR MEMBERSHIP:
4-H membership is open to all youth in Ripley County who will be in grades K through 12. All youth in grades K-2 may participate in the Mini 4-H program. This program allows younger children to participate in non-competitive activities until they reach the traditional 4-H age. The age for traditional 4-H is grades 3 through 12. Youth may participate for a maximum of ten years in conventional 4-H.
- Online Enrollment opens annually on October 1st. To enroll please visit the 4-H online website: -https://v2.4honline.com
4-Hers have the opportunity to learn more about a subject matter that they choose to study through completing hands-on activities, called projects. The Ripley County 4-H Program offers more than 60 projects for area youth. In order to enroll in a project, members must sign up for them at the time of enrolling in 4-H. Each project has a manual that guides the youth through the learning process as well as a set of guidelines that helps them meet the project requirements. We provide adult volunteers and staff who are knowledgeable on that particular subject who will often times provide workshops to allow the youth to learn about that topic in a social environment. Each project has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level-this allows youth to build on their knowledge each year and continue to challenge their skills. Projects are meant to be worked on over time, providing an educational opportunity for youth outside of the classroom setting. Oftentimes, youth will exhibit and display their project at a local county fair in order to show the community what they have learned. There is no limit to the number of projects youth can sign up for.
Many projects are considered to be State Projects. These are projects that are offered in most counties across the state and likely are eligible to be entered at the Indiana State Fair. While most projects are considered State Projects we have several projects which are considered County Only Projects. These are projects that we have added at a local level because youth have been interested in the topic. Below you will find a full list of the State and County Only Projects offered here in Ripley County:
Animal Projects
2023 Ripley County General Livestock Rules
- Beef
- Cats
- Dairy: Cow & Feeder Steer
- Dogs
- Goats: Dairy, Meat, Pygmy
- Horse & Pony
- Llama & Alpaca
- Pocket Pet
- Poultry
- Rabbit
- Sheep
- Swine
County Only Projects:
- Collections
- Crops
- Giftwrapping
- Lego's
- Microwave
- Recycling
- Scrapbooking
- Sports
- Wearable Arts
- Weeds
- Welding
State Projects:
- Aerospace
- Animal Education Posters
- Cat
- Dog
- Llama
- Poultry
- Rabbit
- Arts & Crafts
- Beekeeping
- Cake Decorating
- Child Development
- Communications
- Creative Writing
- Demonstration
- Informative Presentation
- Professional Persuasive Presentation
- Public Speaking
- Computer Science
- Construction & Architectural Replica
- Consumer Clothing
- Electric
- Entomology
- Fashion Revue
- Fine Arts
- Floriculture
- Foods
- Baked Foods
- Food Preservation
- Forestry
- Garden
- Genealogy
- Geology
- Health
- Home Environment
- Junior Leaders
- Llama or Alpaca Craft
- Model Crafts
- Needle Crafts
- Photography
- Sewing
- Non-wearable
- Wearable
- Shooting Sports
- Small Engine
- Soil and Water Science
- Sportfishing
- Tractor and Mower Safety and Operator Skills
- Lawn & Garden Tractor Safety and Operator Skills
- Tractor Safety & Operator Skills
- Zero-Turn Mower Safety & Operator Skills
- Vet Science
- Weather and Climate Science
- Wildlife
- Woodworking
What is a 4-H Club?
4-H Clubs are an important part of the 4-H member experience. 4-H Clubs typically meet once a month. At meetings, club members learn parliamentary procedure, network with other youth, receive information about the 4-H program/fair, and have the opportunity to ask questions.
The names of the Ripley County 4-H Clubs and the leaders are listed below. If contacting a club leader, please contact those with the * first as they are the primary contact in that club.
BUSY BEES
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Monday of the month at 6:45PM
Meeting Location: St. Paul’s Crossroads Lutheran Church
Leaders: Rose Nuhring*, 812-934-6124, ranuhring@gmail.com
Tammy Sidell, 812-934-4086
Angel Frommeyer, 812-662-5934
COUNTRY CRITTERS
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Monday of the month at 7:00PM
Meeting Location: Monica Hansen Home
Leaders: Monica Hansen*, 812-756-0200, monicalynnhansen@gmail.com
COUNTRY KIDS
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Monday of the month at 7:00PM
Meeting Location: Coonhunters
Leaders: Clay Nuhring, 812-212-1462, ranuhring@gmail.com
Chad Grote, 812-621-3631, chadgrote@yahoo.com
FAITHFUL WORKERS
Meeting Date & Time: 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00PM
Meeting Location: Sunman Community Building
Leaders: Kevin & Wanda Luers*,812-623-2082, luers370@msn.com
Marcy Moster, 812-623-1584, vmmoster@etczone.com
Holly Eckstein, 812-623-4992
Derek & Bethany Luers, 812-212-5948
HOPEWELL CLOVERBEES
Meeting Date & Time: 3rd Monday of the month at 7:00PM
Meeting Location: Hopewell Baptist Church
Leaders: Darren & Sheena Speer*, speer811@gmail.com, 812-756-2399
Gloria Comer, gcomer6934@gmail.com
Karen Osborne, kosborne@sripley.k12.in.us, 812-689-5406
MORRIS SHAMROCKS
Meeting Date & Time: 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00PM
Meeting Location: St. Anthony Catholic Church
Leaders: Michelle Hoff*, dmhoff@etczone.com, 812-933-1526
Kathy Hartman*, khartman1577@yahoo.com, 812-933-1577
Pat Moster, 812-934-3791
Liz Stenger, 812-934-5313
Rick Bauman, 812-623-3075
NAPOLEON 4-H COUNTRY CLUB
Meeting Date & Time: 2nd Sunday of the month at 2:00PM
Meeting Location: Napoleon Community Building
Leaders: Brandy Meyer*,812-852-4303, brandywine4303@yahoo.com
Ralph Meyer, 812- 871-2154
Rebecca Brandt, 812-621-0863
PIERCEVILLE HAYPALS
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Sunday of the month at 4:00PM
Meeting Location: Delaware Fire Department
Leaders: Marlene Riehle*, 812-654-3565, riehlemarlene@yahoo.com
Kris Bushhorn, 812-621-8601
Chelsa Dwenger, 812-621-7734
RIPLEY COUNTY 4-H LONE WOLVES
The Ripley County 4-H Lone Wolves Club is for 4-H members who chose to not participate in the 4-H club experience. Materials and information that would typically be given to members at club meetings like manuals or projects tags, must pick these items up from the extension office.
Leaders: Please call the Extension Office @ 812-689-6511
RIPLEY WRANGLERS
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM
Meeting Location: Ripley County Fairgrounds
Leaders: Monica Hansen, 812-756-0200, monicalynnhansen@gmail.com
Greg Bonfer, 812-621-1015, gbonfer@frontier.com
RIPLEY COUNTY SHOOTING SPORTS
Meeting Date & Time: 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month at 2:00PM
Meeting Location: Sunman Fish & Game
Leaders: Daren Sarringhaus, 812-212-1060
Jim Luers, 812-852-2178
Michael Luers, 812-756-2999
Mike Weiler, 812-569-0533
Bill Jordan, 317-525-1102
4-H BOW WOWS DOG CLUB
Meeting Date & Time: Please check 4-H newsletter for meeting schedule updates
Meeting Location: Ripley County Fairgrounds
Leaders: Sherry Garner, 513-616-5257
Amber Hickey, 812-621-2472
4-H PIONEERS
Meeting Date & Time: 1st Sunday of the month at 5:00PM
Meeting Location: Batesville area
Leaders: Brenna Sarringhaus*,812-212-2331, bsarring@purdue.edu
Brooke Stafford, 812-363-5608, bmsierfet@gmail.com
4-H TRACTOR CLUB
Meeting Date & Time: Please check 4-H newsletter for meeting schedule updates
Meeting Leaders: Harry Weber, 812-623-3983
Steve Meyer, 812-662-4303
Josh Weber, 812-525-0676
More information to come...
- 2021-2022 Ripley County 4-H Clubs & 4-H Leaders
- Enrollment
- Guide for returning volunteers
- Guide for new volunteers
More information to come...