Dunn County 4-H News: March 2026

Members of the 22'ers 4-H Club, winners of the Dunn County 4-H 2025-2026 Food Drive / submitted photo

There is a lot happening with Dunn County 4-H!

For the past several months, Dunn County 4-H has been holding a food drive competition to see which of our clubs could collect the most.  The 22'ers 4-H Club, the winners of the 2025-2026 Food Drive, collected 195 items, which averaged out to 7.5 items per member.  As a reward, they will be given an ice cream sundae party.  In total, all of the Dunn County 4-H members who participated in the Food Drive collected 737 items.  These were donated to different food pantries around the county. 

Dunn County 4-H members at the Battle of the Clubs / submitted photo

Dunn County 4-H could not be happier with the turnout that they had for the Battle of the Clubs.  The Battle of the Clubs was a county-wide event on February 21, where each club forms teams of 5-10 youth to compete for awards in a variety of activities chosen by the Youth Activities Council.  The winning club was Missouri Valley.

Zachary Rozmiarek, Abigail Dietsche, Lydia Dietsche, Dalila Wantoch, Benjamin Dietsche, and Ava Freeland at the Performing Arts Festival on March 7th / submitted photo

Last Saturday, our Dunn County 4-H’ers participated in the Tri-County Performing Arts Festival at the Elk Mound High School where they gave musical and dramatic performances for which they received medals and ribbons.

Dunn County 4-H, Kathy Asper and the staff at the Neighbors Nursing home have a new collaboration project in the works called “Generation Celebration” during which 4-H Youth Grades 3 and up learn about and celebrate the Neighbors residents by visiting with and interviewing them.  Watch for more information about this meaningful project as it develops.

Featured Dunn County 4-H Group – Trout in the Classroom

Zachary Rozmiarek, the Dunn County 4-H Educator partnered with the Knapp Elementary School, the school’s 5th grade teacher, Courtney Budden, Trout Unlimited and the DNR to provide a program called “Trout in the Classroom.”  This program provided an opportunity for students to care for trout eggs and fingerlings in their own classroom.

Students conducting water quality tests during a Trout in the Classroom experience in Courtney Budden's class at the Knapp Elementary School / submitted photo

Fourteen students participated in “Trout in the Classroom,” where they were given 250 trout eggs from the DNR to care for as they hatched and became fry.   Trout Unlimited provided the equipment for the project, a tank with stand, a chiller, filter, and aerator. The students helped choose the trout lessons from which they learned about trout habitat, water quality and ecology.  They also conducted the water quality tests themselves.  

With Rozmiarek’s guidance, Trout in the Classroom was a positive experience for the students.  According to him, one of the goals of Trout in the Classroom is to inspire the children to learn more about our environment by sparking an interest in fish and wildlife.

“We hope to continue this partnership with the Knapp Elementary School, Trout Unlimited and the DNR for years to come,” Rozmiarek said.

If you live in Dunn County and don’t want to miss out on future 4-H activities, join Dunn County 4-H today by calling Zachary Rozmiarek at 715-232-1636. To see more of our activities, visit our Facebook page.

Leaders aren’t born.  They’re grown. 

4-H – For You – For Me – For Fun – For Life 

Ann Lee - Dunn County 4-H Assistant