What University of Nevada, Reno Extension Offers
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is the outreach arm of the University of Nevada, Reno, and it runs the Nevada 4-H Youth Development Program, according to a 2026 university feature on 4-H. The Extension site lists program areas that matter to farm and ranch families: Farming and Ranching, Livestock and Domestic Animals, Forage and Food Crops, Rangelands, Water, Pests and Plant Diseases, Gardens, Trees and Landscapes, Food Safety and Quality, Fire, Wildlife, and Forests and Woodlands. It also covers 4-H, family and community programs.
County Offices
Extension works through county offices. The Extension county directory shows, for example, an Elko County office at 701 Walnut Street in Elko, phone (775) 738-7291, and an Eureka County office at 461 South Main Street in Eureka, phone (775) 237-6135, per the county personnel page. The Extension home page does not list every office, so look up your county in the staff directory on extension.unr.edu or call the state office.
Nevada 4-H
The Nevada State 4-H Office is at 18600 Wedge Parkway in Reno, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, phone 775-784-4779, per the 4-H site. The program areas named in the university feature include archery, shooting sports, cooking, photography, crafts, robotics, public speaking, animal science and agriculture. Youth and adults can join as participants or volunteers by contacting their local Extension office.
- Camps: Nevada 4-H Camp Tahoe sits on 32 acres on the shore of Lake Tahoe, and Camp Alamo sits on 72 acres about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. The first Nevada 4-H camp was held on the Reno campus in 1930.
- Local flavor: Washoe County runs in-school STEM programs, Moapa Valley has a 4-H Aviation Club, Elko County held a summer camp in Lamoille Canyon and Churchill County relies on volunteers for its rural program.
- Handbook: the 4-H site links to a Handbook and Policy Guidelines section, which is where to check ages and enrollment rules for your county.
4-H Around the State
The 2026 university feature gives a picture of how different the program looks from county to county. In Washoe County, an in-school STEM program piloted two years earlier reached 550 classrooms and about 40 of the county's 60 elementary schools, and eleven Title 1 schools had formal after-school programs. In Southern Nevada, about 800 elementary and 300 middle school students received in-school 4-H programming, with three schools and two recreation centers hosting formal after-school programs. Carson City has in-school STEM in some elementary schools. Moapa Valley's Aviation Club produced a member who earned a private pilot certificate, and a Washoe County aviation club member did the same while still in high school.
The same article cites Tufts University research finding 4-H youth are three times as likely to give back to their community and twice as likely to make healthier choices. State 4-H Leader Lindsay Chichester joined 4-H at age 9 in Lyon County, and University president Brian Sandoval is a 4-H alumnus.
Livestock Projects and Shows
Extension organizes the annual Nevada Junior Livestock Show with 4-H Expo, held Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the Nevada State Fairgrounds in Reno as part of the State Fair of Nevada, per the event page. It included small animal, livestock and static competitions, and qualifying projects were not required in 2026. In Churchill County, the 4-H office (Karen Bogdanowicz, program leader, at 775-427-2480 in a 2024 article) helps run the county junior livestock show and sale, as described by the Fallon Post.
Help for Producers and Gardeners
Beyond 4-H, Extension publishes practical guidance for Nevada conditions. Recent titles on the home page included managing and protecting high tunnels in winter and Christmas tree care, fire safety and disposal. The county-by-county needs assessment survey, open through January 31, 2026, was used to shape future programs in each county. Subject experts also work in the counties, such as a rangeland livestock and wildlife specialist listed in the Elko office.
Why Livestock Families Should Call Early
Show rules in Nevada hinge on dates. The 2022 Nevada Junior Livestock Show rule book, for example, required beef to be owned by December 1 of the year before the show and most other species by March 1, with entries due April 1. Your county Extension office knows which dates and forms apply to your fair, who the project leaders are and whether your club meets before the animals need to be tagged. A call in the fall saves a scramble in the spring.
How to Get Started
- Find your county office in the Extension staff directory and call before you visit.
- Ask about 4-H club meetings, project enrollment and the dates that apply to your fair.
- Ask about livestock ownership and tagging dates before buying a show animal.
- Bring plant, pest or forage questions to the office. Educators handle them for the county.
- Volunteer. Clubs in rural counties depend on adult leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs Nevada 4-H?
University of Nevada, Reno Extension.
How do I contact the state 4-H office?
Call 775-784-4779, at 18600 Wedge Parkway in Reno.
Can adults join 4-H?
Yes. Youth and adults can join as participants or volunteers through their local Extension office.
Where do I find my county office?
Use the county directory on extension.unr.edu.
Nevada Listings Covered by This Guide
- Washoe County 4-H Livestock Show
Washoe County 4-H youth show and prepare their animals here ahead of the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in June. Free for the public to attend; exhibitors register and pay fees in advance.
1350 N Wells Ave, Reno, NV 89512 | (775) 784-4848 | Organizer: UNR Extension 4-H Office Official event details - Nevada 4-H State Expo
Statewide 4-H Expo with small animal, livestock and static competitions, folded into the State Fair in 2026; youth show animals and projects from 8 am to 5 pm on Saturday, June 13.
- Eureka County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale
Youth livestock show opens Thursday during fair week and the 4-H sale follows Saturday. The 2019 show drew 29 exhibitors with swine, beef, sheep, goats and rabbits. Held each year.
Eureka, NV | Organizer: Eureka County Jr. Livestock Show and Sale Committee Official event details - Carson City Cooperative Extension 4-H
Carson City extension office that runs 4-H youth development, the Capital City Farm Days and the youth livestock auction at the Carson City Fair.
Carson City, NV | 775-887-2252 - Churchill County 4-H Youth Development
University of Nevada Extension 4-H program serving Fallon, Eastgate, Middlegate, Cold Springs, Dixie Valley and Hazen, with youth showing at the county junior livestock show.
Fallon, NV - Clark County 4-H
Extension 4-H clubs in Clark County whose members exhibit small livestock and projects at the fair, completing YQCA training and club demonstrations.
Logandale, NV - Comstock Hot Shots 4-H Shooting Sports
Storey County 4-H shooting sports club teaching seven disciplines to youth, supported by NRA Foundation grants.
Virginia City, NV - Douglas County 4-H
Offers Big 4 Livestock (sheep, pigs, beef, goats), Small Animals, Equine, Shooting Sports and Cloverbuds clubs for Douglas County youth in the 2026-2027 4-H year.
Gardnerville, NV | (775) 782-9960 - Elko County 4-H Youth Development
University of Nevada Extension 4-H program covering Elko, Spring Creek, Wells, Carlin, Lamoille, Jackpot, West Wendover, Owyhee, Tuscarora and Jiggs.
Elko, NV - Eureka County 4-H Youth Development
University of Nevada Extension 4-H program for Eureka, Beowawe, Crescent Valley and Diamond Valley youth.
Eureka, NV - Great Basin Research and Extension Center
644-acre University of Nevada ranch in Diamond Valley, opened in 2020, breeding disease-resistant sheep and testing variable-rate sorghum irrigation.
Eureka, NV - Humboldt County 4-H Youth Development
University of Nevada Extension 4-H program serving Winnemucca, Paradise Valley, McDermitt, Golconda, Denio and Valmy.
Winnemucca, NV - Imagineers 4-H Robotics
Storey County 4-H robotics and First Lego League team, formerly Crushing Bricks, based at Hugh Gallagher Elementary School.
Virginia City, NV - Lander County 4-H Youth Development
Extension-run 4-H program for Lander County youth; members have shown steers and market goats at the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in Reno.
Battle Mountain, NV - Lincoln County 4-H Youth Development
4-H clubs across Alamo, Caliente, Panaca and Pioche, including Livestock, Dog, Sewing, Photography and Shooting Sports; Panaca hosts the livestock club.
Panaca, NV Website - Logandale Research and Extension Center
University of Nevada station in Logandale that has studied cactus pear as biofuel, food and forage and tested 19 pomegranate varieties for desert growers.
Logandale, NV - Lyon County 4-H Youth Development
County 4-H office serving Dayton, Mason Valley, Fernley, Smith Valley and Silver Springs with livestock, dog, shooting sports and home economics clubs, a spring junior livestock show and an August fair.
504 S. Main Street, Yerington, NV 89447 | (775) 463-6541 Website - Mineral County 4-H Youth Development
Mineral County 4-H serves Hawthorne, Schurz and Mina with in-school programs, clubs and projects in sewing, baking, quilting, archery, photography and quad safety.
Hawthorne, NV Website - Nevada 4-H State Office
Statewide director's office for Nevada 4-H, run by University of Nevada, Reno Extension, coordinating county clubs, livestock projects, camps and the State Expo.
18600 Wedge Pkwy, Reno, NV 89511 | 775-784-4779 - Pershing County 4-H Youth Development
4-H program serving Lovelock, Imlay, Unionville and Grass Valley, with a livestock judging contest and an annual livestock show and sale.
Lovelock, NV Website - Silver Bricks 4-H Robotics
4-H robotics and First Lego League team at Virginia City Middle School in Storey County.
Virginia City, NV - Southern Nye County 4-H
Pahrump 4-H offers Cloverbuds, a Livestock club for goats, dairy cows, swine, poultry and rabbits, plus dog, sewing and robotics teams, with newer clubs in Amargosa Valley.
Pahrump, NV - Stockton Well Keystones
Silver Springs youth agriculture club founded in 2024 under a 4-H program umbrella.
Silver Springs, NV - Storey County 4-H Youth Development
Combined Carson City and Storey County 4-H program for Virginia City, Lockwood, Highlands and Gold Hill youth, with dog, poultry, livestock, sewing and shooting sports projects.
Virginia City, NV | (775) 887-2252 Website - Storey County Cook Lovers 4-H Club
Storey County 4-H foods and nutrition club where young members learn cooking skills through University of Nevada Extension.
Virginia City, NV - UNCE Carson City Extension Office
Carson City Extension office shared with Storey County, offering urban gardening, nutrition education and 4-H youth clubs.
Carson City, NV Website - UNCE Churchill Extension Office
Fallon-based Extension office for Churchill County, offering 4-H youth programs, agriculture and horticulture education from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Fallon, NV Website - UNCE Clark Extension Office
Southern Nevada Extension headquarters in Las Vegas, home to the A.D. Guy Knowledge Center, with urban agriculture, nutrition and 4-H programs.
Las Vegas, NV Website - UNCE Douglas Extension Office
Douglas County Extension office serving Carson Valley ranchers, gardeners and 4-H families with University of Nevada, Reno programs.
Gardnerville, NV Website - UNCE Elko Extension Office
Elko County Extension office, serving northeastern Nevada ranchers and 4-H members with range, livestock and youth programs.
Elko, NV Website - UNCE Esmeralda Extension Office
Joint Northern Nye and Esmeralda County Extension office in the Old Courthouse in Tonopah, covering a very large, sparsely populated ranching area.
#1 Frankie St. (Old Courthouse), Tonopah, NV | (775) 482-6794 Website - UNCE Eureka Extension Office
Eureka County Extension office supporting central Nevada ranchers and the local 4-H program.
Eureka, NV Website - UNCE Humboldt Extension Office
Humboldt County Extension office at the Winnemucca fairgrounds, hosting Cattlemen's Update sessions, 4-H clubs and range education.
1085 Fairgrounds Rd., Winnemucca, NV 89445 | (775) 623-6304 Website - UNCE Lander Extension Office
Lander County Extension office in Battle Mountain, offering ranching, rangeland and 4-H youth programming.
815 N. 2nd St., Battle Mountain, NV 89820 | (775) 635-5565 Website - UNCE Lincoln Extension Office
Lincoln County Extension office in Caliente, supporting southeastern Nevada ranchers, gardeners and 4-H members.
360 Lincoln St., Caliente, NV | (775) 726-3109 Website - UNCE Lyon Extension Office
Lyon County Extension office in Yerington, serving Mason Valley alfalfa growers, livestock producers and 4-H youth.
504 S. Main St., Yerington, NV | (775) 463-6541 Website - UNCE Mineral Extension Office
Mineral County Extension office in Hawthorne, sharing staff with Pershing County and running 4-H and community horticulture programs.
205 S. A St., Hawthorne, NV | (775) 945-3444 Website - UNCE Northeast Clark County Extension Office (Logandale)
Extension office serving the Moapa and Virgin valleys of Clark County, near the county fairgrounds, with 4-H and agriculture programs.
Logandale, NV - UNCE Northern Nye County Extension Office (Tonopah)
Extension office in the Old Courthouse in Tonopah serving northern Nye County and Esmeralda County ranchers.
#1 Frankie St. (Old Courthouse), Tonopah, NV | (775) 482-6794 Website - UNCE Nye Extension Office
Southern Nye County Extension office in Pahrump, with gardening, small-farm and 4-H programs for the Pahrump Valley.
1651 E. Calvada Blvd., Pahrump, NV 89048 | (775) 727-5532 Website
Plus 8 more. Find yours on your county's page in the Nevada directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.