What UC Cooperative Extension Does for Californians
University of California Cooperative Extension, or UCCE, is the local face of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). The UC ANR site describes advisors who help farmers adopt more efficient growing methods, manage pests and plan water use, natural resources advisors who handle wildfire education and conservation research, and nutrition educators. UCCE offices serve every county in the state. The practical point for a grower, parent or gardener is that there is a university-trained person in your county whose job is to answer your question with research instead of opinion.
Finding Your County Office
The UCCE County Offices page has an interactive map: hover over or click your county, or browse the list of county offices by name. UCCE serves all 58 California counties, so your county has an office to find. Office pages list the farm, home and youth advisors who work there, plus the 4-H and Master Gardener programs.
Farm, Home and Youth Advisors
County-based advisors work alongside campus specialists. One office description says UCCE pairs local advisors with more than 400 campus-based specialists. Advisors in agriculture run field trials, publish crop and livestock guidance and hold meetings on topics such as irrigation, pests, soils and orchard or vineyard management. Ask your county office which advisors cover your crop or animals. Because advisors are tied to local conditions, advice for a Central Valley almond block may not match advice for a coastal berry field, and that is exactly why the county office matters.
4-H: The Youth Side
The California 4-H Youth Development Program is run through UCCE. County 4-H offices handle enrollment, club connections and fair paperwork. For livestock, the University's 4-H Policy Handbook sets animal ownership minimums for animals shown at endorsed fairs: per Chapter 7, market sheep, swine, veal and goats must be owned and supervised at least 60 consecutive days, market beef at least 120 consecutive days, and poultry, rabbits, feeder and breeding animals at least 30 consecutive days and enrolled in the project 60 days. Horses and llamas or alpacas need 120 consecutive days.
- Age divisions are counted as of December 31 of the program year: Primary 5 to 8, Junior 9 to 10, Intermediate 11 to 13 and Senior 14 to 19, per the Mother Lode Fair 4-H page.
- Primary members under nine do not compete with animals at California fairs. They may show noncompetitively.
- To exhibit at a fair, a member must be in good standing, complete the project hours set by the project leader (at least 6) and file an Annual Project Report, per the San Luis Obispo 4-H fair page.
- Since January 1, 2019, all California fairs require junior livestock exhibitors to complete approved quality assurance training each year, and YQCA online is the approved option.
- Members may move a project among 4-H, FFA and Grange once per calendar year, at least 60 days before the exhibit or the species' ownership requirement if longer, using the Livestock Project Transfer Form.
- The green 4-H hat is not required to exhibit.
Every fair is different. San Luis Obispo's 4-H page says each fair is unique with their own rules and expectations, so ask your county 4-H office and the fair itself.
Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers
UC ANR describes the UC Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver programs as volunteer programs that extend its reach, and the County Offices page lists both along with nutrition education classes. Volunteers answer home garden and food preservation questions. If your tomato has a strange spot or your jam did not set, start with your county's Master Gardener or Master Food Preserver contact on the office page.
Help for Farms, Ranches and Small Acreage
- Ask the farm advisor for your crop or commodity about pest identification, irrigation, soils and field trials.
- Use natural resources advisors for wildfire education and conservation questions.
- Pair Extension with your local resource conservation district and the USDA offices for cost-share and planning help.
- Small-acreage owners can ask the county office which advisor or volunteer program fits.
How to Get the Most From Your Office
- Call or email first and say what crop, animal or problem you have and where it is.
- Bring a sample or clear photos for pests and plant problems. Do not spray before you ask.
- Ask what research backs the advice and how it fits your county.
- Join the office mailing list for field days and workshops.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UCCE offices are there?
UCCE serves all 58 counties, per the County Offices page. Use the map to find the office for your county.
Does my child have to wear the green 4-H hat to show at a fair?
No. The hat is not required to exhibit or take part in 4-H activities.
Where do I get the animal ownership rules?
In the 4-H Policy Handbook, Chapter 7, and in your fair's rules. Fairs may add stricter local rules.
Who runs the Master Gardener program?
It is a UC ANR volunteer program, listed on county UCCE office pages.
California Listings Covered by This Guide
- Humboldt 4-H Deep Pit BBQ and Dessert Auction
Public barbecue and dessert auction that is the main county 4-H fundraiser, usually the first Sunday of October. Held each year; the date shown is the first Sunday of October 2026.
5630 South Broadway, Eureka, CA | 707-445-7351 | Organizer: Humboldt County 4-H Official event details - Alameda County 4-H Youth Development Program
University of California 4-H office in Hayward serving youth clubs across the East Bay.
224 W Winton Ave, Suite 134, Hayward, CA 94544 Website - Amador County 4-H Program
UC Cooperative Extension 4-H office near the Jackson airport supporting foothill livestock and project clubs.
12200-B Airport Road, Jackson, CA | 209-223-6484 Website - Butte County 4-H Youth Development Program
County 4-H office at the Oroville Cooperative Extension complex coordinating clubs that sell at the Butte County Fair.
5 County Center Drive, Oroville, CA 95965 | 530-552-5812 Website - Calaveras County 4-H Program
UC 4-H program office in San Andreas serving Calaveras youth in livestock, shooting and leadership projects.
891 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, CA | 209-754-6474 Website - Colusa County 4-H Youth Development Program
Monthly newsletters and pie fundraisers at the Colusa Farm Show keep Colusa County 4-H clubs active in rice-country livestock projects.
Colusa, CA Website - Contra Costa 4-H Program
Concord-based 4-H office serving suburban and Delta youth with animal science and leadership projects.
2380 Bisso Lane, Suite B, Concord, CA 94520 | 925-608-6690 Website - Del Norte County 4-H Program
Crescent City 4-H office that works with youth raising animals for the Del Norte County Fair auction.
586 G Street, Crescent City, CA 95531 | 707-464-4711 Website - El Dorado County 4-H Program
4-H office on Fair Lane in Placerville next to the county fairgrounds.
311 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 | 530-621-5507 Website - Fresno County 4-H Program
Large Central Valley 4-H program office on Shaw Avenue supporting clubs that show at the Big Fresno Fair.
550 E. Shaw Avenue, Ste 100, Fresno, CA 93710 | 559-241-7519 Website - Glenn County 4-H Program
Glenn County 4-H clubs prepare market animals for the Orland fair and its Sale of Champions.
Orland, CA Website - Humboldt County 4-H Program
Eureka 4-H office with a year-round calendar from summer camp at Blue Slide to presentation days and scholarship drives.
5630 South Broadway, Eureka, CA 95503 | 707-445-7351 Website - Imperial County 4-H Program
Desert-valley 4-H clubs raise market animals for the California Mid-Winter Fair junior livestock auction.
El Centro, CA Website - Inyo and Mono Counties 4-H Youth Development Program
Shared Eastern Sierra 4-H office in Bishop covering Inyo and Mono youth projects.
1360 North Main Street, Bishop, CA 93514 | 760-873-7855 Website - Inyo-Mono 4-H Fun Day
December afternoon at the Tri-County Fairgrounds with crafts, a cookie contest and games shared by local clubs.
Bishop, CA Website - Inyo-Mono 4-H Livestock Field Day
Spring livestock judging workshop alternating between Bishop and Lone Pine, mandatory for members aged 9 to 19 who show at the Junior Livestock Show; YQCA training follows.
Bishop, CA Website - Kern County 4-H Program
Kern 4-H program tied into the county fair livestock sale and the Farm Day in the City education event.
Bakersfield, CA Website - Kings County 4-H Program
Hanford campus-drive office that runs Kings County 4-H clubs and the Farm Day student event.
680 N. Campus Drive, Suite A, Hanford, CA 93230 | 559-852-2730 Website - Lake County 4-H Program
Lake County 4-H office reachable by phone that supports youth showing animals at the Lakeport fair.
Lakeport, CA | 707-263-6838 Website - Lassen County 4-H Program
Lassen 4-H runs mandatory beef and dairy steer pre-weigh-ins at the Susanville fairgrounds each spring.
Susanville, CA Website - Los Angeles County 4-H Program
Alhambra office for an urban 4-H program with clubs reaching from Antelope Valley ranches to Pomona.
700 W. Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801 | 626-586-1971 Website - Madera County 4-H Program
Madera 4-H office on Tozer Street supporting clubs that sell at the Madera District Fair.
145 Tozer St., Ste. 103, Madera, CA 93638 | 559-675-7879 ext. 7204 Website - Marin County 4-H Program
Novato 4-H office in a dairy and coastal ranch county, serving youth who exhibit at the Marin County Fair.
1682 Novato Boulevard, Suite 150-B, Novato, CA 94947 | 415-473-2641 Website - Placer County 4-H Youth Development
Placer County 4-H office of UC Cooperative Extension in Auburn, supporting community clubs, livestock and project learning for local youth.
2855 2nd St., Auburn, CA 95603 | 530-889-7386 Website - Plumas & Sierra Counties 4-H
Joint 4-H program of UCCE Plumas-Sierra with hands-on projects from traditional agriculture to robotics and forestry; clubs meet monthly for about ten months a year.
Quincy, CA Website - Plumas-Sierra UC Cooperative Extension
Extension office at the Quincy fairgrounds that serves Sierra County with field research, workshops, seminars and newsletters, and supports volunteers in the 4-H program.
Quincy, CA Website - Rhoades-Stockton Bean Co-op
Dry bean growers cooperative with a Tracy, San Joaquin County, California, mailing address.
P.O. Box 338, Tracy, CA 95378 | (209) 835-1284 - Riverside County 4-H Youth Development Program
Riverside County 4-H, part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, serving youth ages 5 to 19 through monthly community clubs, animal projects and volunteer-led project meetings.
2980 Washington Street, Riverside, CA 92504 | (760) 660-7567 Website - San Mateo County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H youth development office serving San Mateo County from Half Moon Bay, running local clubs and the county's participation in fairs and livestock shows.
1500 Purisima Creek Road, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 | (650) 276-7422 Website - Santa Barbara County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office in Santa Maria that supports Santa Barbara County clubs, whose members show animals at the Santa Barbara County Fair junior livestock show each summer.
1105 E Foster Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93455 | (530) 830-9442 Website - Santa Clara County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office in San Jose coordinating Santa Clara County clubs, including Gilroy and Morgan Hill members who show livestock at county and South Valley fairs.
1553 Berger Drive Bldg. 1, San Jose, CA 95112 Website - Santa Cruz County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H youth development office on Westridge Drive in Watsonville serving Santa Cruz County clubs.
500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville, CA | (831) 205-3180 Website - Shasta County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office on Hartnell Avenue in Redding that supports Shasta County clubs and junior livestock exhibitors.
1851 Hartnell Avenue, Redding, CA 96002 | (530) 224-4900 Website - Sierra County 4-H Office
Joint Plumas-Sierra 4-H office at the Quincy fairgrounds serving Sierra County youth clubs and livestock projects.
208 Fairground Road, Quincy, CA 95971 | (530) 283-6173 Website - Siskiyou County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office on South Main Street in Yreka serving Siskiyou County clubs.
1655 S. Main Street, Yreka, CA | (530) 842-2711 Website - Solano County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office in downtown Fairfield serving Solano County clubs and livestock exhibitors.
501 Texas Street, 1st Floor, Fairfield, CA 94533-5672 | (707) 429-5532 Website - Sonoma County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office near the Sonoma County airport serving the county's clubs and fair exhibitors.
133 Aviation Blvd., Suite 109, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 | (707) 565-2621 Website - Stanislaus County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office in Modesto serving Stanislaus County clubs and junior livestock exhibitors.
3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite A, Modesto, CA 95358 | (209) 525-6800 Website - Sutter County 4-H Office
Shared Sutter-Yuba University of California 4-H office on Garden Highway in Yuba City.
142A Garden Highway, Yuba City, CA 95991 | (530) 822-7515 Website - Tehama County 4-H Office
University of California 4-H office on Walnut Street in Red Bluff serving Tehama County clubs and fair exhibitors.
1754 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 Website
Plus 64 more. Find yours on your county's page in the California directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.