Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Webster County

Again at the Webster County Fair, is the Open Quilt Show! Enter your quilts and showcase your talent! Entry fee is $2.00, which will be collected at Tillie’s Quilts,
17 South 12th Street in Fort Dodge with your entry, by 4p.m. on June 26th. Judging will be done prior to the fair and ribbons will be awarded. All entries will be on display during the fair July 15th – July 19th. To find out more about this show and the rules, check out the website wcfairgrounds.com or the Webster County Extension website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/webster/open-shows-and-fairground-information .

Understand Your Community Better Learn practical ways to apply community data.

County fairs will soon be underway. Iowa 4-H members planning to exhibit a food product should pay close attention to food safety guidelines for prepared and preserved foods as outlined in the Foods for Iowa 4-H Fairs Quick Reference Guide for 2026. Members are also encouraged to submit their chosen recipe to AnswerLine for food safety feedback or concerns. go.iastate.edu/H3QVQD

Learn how to care for your chickens.

Learn Livestock Basics Buy Homegrown Lifestyle: Livestock at ISU

The Webster County Fair will offer an open photography class once again this year giving the public the opportunity to showcase their work as well as receive feedback through judging. Entries will be accepted June 22 through July 2nd at the Webster County Extension office located at 822 Central Ave. Suite 102 (in the Wells Fargo building) in Fort Dodge. Office hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 4:30 pm, Friday 9 am till 2 pm.

There are two divisions for entry, youth and adult/senior. Categories for photos include landscape, animals, things, plants. All photographs must be mounted and unframed. There is a fee of $1 per entry and up to two photos per category is allowed for adults and three per category for youth. Work must be original and the work of the photographer; work previously exhibited in the Webster County Fair Open Class will not be accepted. The youth division is age seventeen and under and the adult class age 18 and over. Each entry will receive a blue, red or white ribbon unless receiving one of the special awards such as a first place in category or best of show award. All of the entries will be on display during the Webster County Fair July 15th – July 19th, 2026.

An entry form and further information may be found on the Webster County Fair’s website at wcfairgrounds.com or the Webster County Extension website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/webster/open-shows-and-fairground-information .

Latest newsletter from:
Angie Rieck-Hinz
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Extension Field Agronomist

https://mailchi.mp/mail.iastate.edu/nc-iowa-agronomy-connection-newsletter-vol-13-issue-7

Beyond the Screen: Navigate the Complex World of Modern Gaming With Smart Parenting
While 82% of American families report playing digital games with their children at home, many parents find themselves increasingly frustrated by a gaming landscape that feels vastly different from the one they grew up with. To address these challenges, The Science of Parenting podcast recently hosted a special three-part series featuring Soyoung Park, an Iowa State University doctoral student specializing in digital game culture and family life.

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/beyond-screen-navigate-complex-world-modern-gaming-smart-parenting

Excellent field day to attend. Save the date.

Farm in North Central Iowa? Catch the ISU Northern Research Farm summer field day on Thursday, June 25!

Field tour topics will discuss oat production management, herbicide injury and current growing season conditions and impacts on crop growth and development.

RSVP by June 22 👉 https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/iowa-state-university-northern-research-and-demonstration-farm-hold-field-day-june-25

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ISU Extension and Outreach - Hancock County, Iowa, ISU Extension and Outreach Wright County, ISU Extension and Outreach - Kossuth County, Cerro Gordo County ISU Extension, Franklin County Extension, Humboldt County-Iowa State Extension and Outreach, Winnebago County ISU Extension

BRING IN YOUR PRESSURE CANNER GAUGES TO BE TESTED
Are you growing a garden and want to preserve the bounty of your harvest? Do you have a dial pressure canner and need it tested?

Pressure canners with dial gauges can be checked for accuracy and safety at the Webster County Extension Office, 822 Central Ave., Suite 102, (Wells Fargo building main floor) Fort Dodge anytime between 8 a.m. – noon or can be left to be picked up at your convenience. Calling ahead is suggested but not required.

Pressure canners with dial gauges should be tested annually for accuracy. Weighted or rocker-type pressure regulators cannot be adjusted and will usually remain accurate. However, pressure canners with a dial-type pressure gauge should be tested each year for accuracy. We can NOT test Burpee or All-American brand gauges. There will be a $5 fee per lid for testing.


Only the lid of the canner is needed for testing. The testing takes just a few minutes. Please contact the Webster County Extension Office, (515) 576-2119, if you have questions.