What WSU Extension Is
Washington State University Extension is the university's outreach arm. The Washington State Association of Counties describes it as "the front porch of the University," with more than 50 locations and an office in each county, working with counties and tribal governments in a partnership with USDA. It was created by the federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914 and is part of the national Cooperative Extension System. Its program areas include agriculture and natural resources, youth and family development including 4-H, nutrition and food safety, and community and economic development. A WSU overview page adds that its Master Gardener program began in 1972, using trained volunteers to answer questions from the public.
What a County Office Offers
Every county office is a little different, so look at the programs yours lists. The Clark County office, per its staff and hours page, lists these areas:
- 4-H Youth Development, including record books and fair participation
- Master Gardeners, with volunteer training and community education
- Nutrition, health and food safety, including food preservation
- Agriculture and food systems
- A Small Acreage Program with publications, videos and watershed stewardship
- The Washington State Agrability Project and farm stress resources
- The 78th Street Heritage Farm and community gardens
That office is at 1919 NE 78th St., Vancouver, and takes calls at (564) 397-5733. It also posts limited public hours and offers appointments, so call before you drive. Staff are listed by topic, so you can ask for the person who handles 4-H, horticulture, commercial agriculture or small acreage rather than the front desk.
Washington 4-H
4-H is the part of Extension most farm families meet first. The state 4-H policies and procedures handbook sets the basic structure:
- Age divisions are based on age on October 1: Cloverbud (5-7), Junior (8-10), Intermediate (11-13) and Senior (14-18).
- Members must have reached their eighth birthday by October 1 to compete in livestock shows or sales or to take large animal projects. Cloverbuds may not take part in competitive activities.
- Members do not have to own project animals and may lease them, except animals to be sold at a junior livestock auction.
- Washington 4-H recommends Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) for food animal members.
- Humane treatment is required, and illegal drugs or improper use of animal health products will not be tolerated.
Enrollment usually runs through 4HOnline, which the Thurston County exhibitor guide says is required for all exhibitors, with animal projects due by April 15 there. County dates differ, so ask your office.
Fairs, Auctions and Animal Health
County Extension offices publish the fair books and run 4-H fair programs. San Juan County, for example, posts a livestock auction family guide, and Grays Harbor lists a calendar of fair deadlines, meetings and weigh-ins on its 4-H fair page. A WSU news story says WSU staff train the volunteers and superintendents who run county fairs, and that WSU livestock specialist Paul Kuber has served on the state Department of Agriculture Fairs Commission since 2021 and leads more than $500,000 in USDA grants on fair biosecurity. The same story describes Prepare2Respond, a WSU-led program that trains fair adults with tabletop exercises based on avian influenza, swine influenza and foot and mouth disease.
Help for Producers and Gardeners
- Small acreage owners: publications, videos and watershed stewardship from the Small Acreage Program where your county offers it.
- Commercial growers and ranchers: county offices list commercial agriculture staff, and the Agrability project and farm stress resources are linked from Clark County's page.
- Gardeners: Master Gardener volunteers answer public questions. Clallam County, for example, lists a Master Gardener program among its offerings.
- Families: food preservation, nutrition education and Strengthening Families classes, which the overview page says are taught by trained facilitators in 30 counties.
How the FFA Fits In
WSU also works with FFA. At the state convention in Pullman, WSU supplies volunteers and campus facilities, and in some years it has hosted hands-on contests such as milk quality, meats and veterinary skills at the university, per Farm Progress. Extension and FFA are different organizations, but many families use both.
How to Get Started
- Find your county Extension page at extension.wsu.edu, where each county has its own site with staff and hours.
- Call before visiting. Public hours can be limited and change on holidays.
- Ask for the person who handles your topic: 4-H, horticulture, small acreage, nutrition or commercial agriculture.
- For 4-H, ask about enrollment deadlines, club leaders, project meetings and your fair book.
- Bring photos or samples for plant and pest questions, and a map for land questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an Extension office in every county?
The Washington State Association of Counties says WSU Extension has an office in each county, among more than 50 locations.
How old do I have to be for 4-H?
Cloverbuds are 5 to 7 and join noncompetitive activities. Members must be 8 by October 1 to compete in livestock shows or sales.
Do 4-H livestock members need quality assurance training?
Washington 4-H recommends YQCA, and some counties and fairs require quality assurance forms or training. Ask your county office.
Where is the 4-H fair book?
On your county Extension site or from the office. San Juan and Grays Harbor, for example, post theirs online.
Washington Listings Covered by This Guide
- Walla Walla County 4-H Livestock Day
Livestock judging clinic and contest, hands-on labs and species Q&A for youth ages 8 to 18 preparing for the project year. Held each year; the most recent date was April 18, 2026.
84487 Hwy 11, Milton-Freewater, WA | Organizer: Walla Walla County 4-H Program Official event details - San Juan County Showmanship Clinic and Spring Weigh-In
Showmanship clinics for livestock and small animals, a butchering careers talk and an early weigh-in with ear tags for fair auction animals. Held each year; the most recent date was May 30, 2026.
849 Argyle Ave, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 | Organizer: Livestock Market Animal Auction Committee Official event details - Washington 4-H State Livestock Judging Contest
Held each year; the most recent contest was Saturday, June 27, 2026 at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake.
3953 Airway Dr NE, Moses Lake, WA 98937 | 509-765-3581 | Organizer: WSU Extension 4-H Official event details - San Juan County 4-H Livestock Auction
Saturday fair auction in the 4-H Arena for beef, goat, lamb, swine, market poultry, hens and eggs; registration at noon, bidding at 1:00 pm. Held each year; the most recent date was August 15, 2026.
Friday Harbor, WA | Organizer: 4-H Livestock Market Animal Auction Committee Official event details - Poultry PT Testing at Chelan County Fairgrounds
Pullorum-typhoid testing day for 4-H poultry exhibitors, with a suggested $1 donation per bird; results count for the NCW Fair. Most recent date: Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.
5700 Wescott Drive, Cashmere, WA 98815 | Organizer: WSU Extension Chelan-Douglas 4-H Official event details - Washington State 4-H Judge's Training School
Held each year for 4-H judging volunteers; the most recent session ran October 31 to November 1, 2026 at the Equestrian Park in Monroe.
14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe, WA | Organizer: WSU Extension 4-H Official event details - All Creatures Great and Small 4-H Club
Multi-community club serving Anatone, Asotin and Clarkston families, with projects in beef, swine, poultry, goats, rabbits, exotic animals, sewing, cooking and robotics.
Clarkston, WA - Anatone 4-H Club
Small-town 4-H club in the Anatone and Asotin area focused on beef and swine projects, cooking and creative arts.
Anatone, WA - Animal Crackers 4-H Club
Clarkston club whose members take swine, goat, sheep, rabbit, poultry, cat and dog projects, plus 4-H Ambassador and Know Your Government activities.
Clarkston, WA - Barnyard 4-H Club
Clarkston 4-H club offering beef, sheep, swine and goat projects alongside sewing, crafts and photography, and currently open to new members.
Clarkston, WA - Blue Bird Inc
Peshastin grower cooperative packing Wenatchee-area pears and apples.
Peshastin, WA | 509-548-1700 Website - Blue Mountain Livestock 4-H Club
Livestock-focused 4-H club taking on livestock, rabbit, poultry, crafts, sewing and cooking projects for Asotin County youth.
WA - Chelan Fruit Cooperative
One of the world largest fresh fruit co-ops, with roughly 275 growers, many of them small.
Chelan, WA | 509-682-2591 Website - Clallam County 4-H
Local 4-H office housed in the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles; leaders recruit volunteers for animal and non-animal projects like sewing, cooking and photography.
Port Angeles, WA | 360-417-2398 - Columbia County 4-H Youth Program
4-H clubs, fair entries and livestock projects handled through the WSU Extension office in Dayton, open Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
139 E Main Street, Dayton, WA | 509-382-4741 - Cowiche Growers
Grower-member fruit packing cooperative formed in 1923 at Cowiche.
Cowiche, WA | 509-678-4168 Website - Cowlitz County 4-H Youth Program
Local clubs, a horse program, scholarships and animal science projects exhibited at the Cowlitz County Fair and the State Fair, run from the WSU Extension office in Kelso.
304 Cowlitz Way, Kelso, WA 98626 - Grays Harbor County 4-H Exhibitor Program
County and state 4-H fair exhibit program in Grays Harbor, with an annual 4-H exhibitor guide covering animal and still-life departments.
Elma, WA Website - Klickitat County 4-H Youth Program
4-H program with more than 140 project areas for ages 5 to 18, enrolling each October to December, with projects shown at the August county fair.
115 W. Court Street, Suite 102, Goldendale, WA 98620 | 509-773-5817 - Lincoln County 4-H Youth Program
4-H for youth ages 5 to 18 with livestock and horse projects, YQCA certification, a spring showcase and a joint Lincoln-Adams youth camp.
303 6th Street, Davenport, WA 99122 | 509-725-4171 - Lincoln/Adams 4-H Livestock Program
Youth livestock program covering horse projects, YQCA quality assurance certification, fairs and livestock shows, and the Lincoln County Spring Showcase for 4-H members in Adams and Lincoln counties.
WA Website - Manson Growers Cooperative
Packing co-op on Lake Chelan with about 80 grower-members, most near Manson, exporting roughly 80 percent of its fruit.
Manson, WA | 509-687-3530 Website - Mason County 4-H Market Livestock Project
Mason County 4-H and FFA members raise market animals for the Grays Harbor Youth Livestock Auction under a 2026 expectation letter that sets rules for families and exhibitors.
WA - Rough Riding Rustlers 4-H Horse Club
Clarkston 4-H horse club for youth riders and handlers; Cloverbuds are not accepted into this group.
Clarkston, WA - San Juan County 4-H Livestock Market Animal Auction Committee
Volunteer committee working with San Juan County 4-H that runs the fair livestock auction and the spring weigh-in and showmanship clinic.
Friday Harbor, WA - Skamania County 4-H Youth Program
4-H clubs, skill builders, virtual 4-H, a mentoring program and fair projects for county youth through the WSU Extension office in Stevenson.
710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, WA 98648 | 509-427-3932 - Skamania County Extension Agriculture and Gardening Program
WSU Extension support for wine grape, pear orchard and small market farms in the Gorge, with free diagnosis of plant and pest problems.
710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, WA 98648 | 509-427-3932 - Thurston County 4-H Animal Sciences Exhibitor Guide
WSU Extension guide to showing 4-H animals at the Thurston County Fair, covering species departments, age divisions, FairEntry deadlines and vet check schedules.
Lacey, WA - Walla Walla County 4-H Market Livestock Program
Large animal 4-H projects in beef, dairy, goat, sheep and swine that members can show and sell at the Walla Walla County Fair, with WSU resources for each species.
Walla Walla, WA - Washington State Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Olympia council that represents agricultural cooperatives across Washington.
625 Delphi RD NW, Olympia, WA 98502 | (360) 951-5262 - When Pigs Fly 4-H Club
Asotin 4-H club with a broad project list: swine, sheep, goat, poultry, dogs, beef, horse, photography, baking, crafts and fine arts.
Asotin, WA - Whitman County 4-H Clubs
Nineteen 4-H clubs across Pullman, Colfax, Albion, Colton, Garfield, LaCrosse, Oakesdale, Rosalia, St. John, Uniontown and Tekoa, including the Snake River Stockmen and Happy Hooves.
310 N. Main, Room 209, Colfax, WA | 509-397-6290 - WSU Extension Adams County
WSU Extension office for Adams County at 205 W Main, Ritzville, offering 4-H youth programs, Master Gardener help, and agriculture and pesticide education.
205 W Main, Ritzville, WA | 509-659-3209 - WSU Extension Adams County
Adams County office of WSU Extension in Ritzville, open weekdays. Runs 4-H, dryland wheat and farm management programs, and shares staff with Lincoln County.
205 W Main, Ritzville, WA 99169 | 509-659-3209 Website - WSU Extension Asotin County
County Extension office serving Asotin County from Asotin; residents use it for 4-H, small farm and horticulture questions and pesticide license exams.
Courthouse, B107, Asotin, WA | 509-243-2009 - WSU Extension Benton County
Benton County's Washington State University Extension hub in Kennewick (7102 W Okanogan Pl Suite 102), providing research-based agriculture, gardening, and youth development programs. A second Benton office operates at 620 Market St in Prosser.
7102 W Okanogan Pl Suite 102, Kennewick, WA | 509-735-3551 - WSU Extension Benton-Franklin
Joint Benton and Franklin extension program covering forages, cow/calf nutrition, tree fruit, grapes, vegetable crops, 4-H youth development and Master Gardeners.
WA Website - WSU Extension Chelan County
WSU Extension office for Chelan County at 412 Washington Street, Wenatchee, offering 4-H youth programs, Master Gardener help, and agriculture and pesticide education.
412 Washington Street, Wenatchee, WA | 509-667-6540 - WSU Extension Chelan-Douglas 4-H
Joint 4-H program for Chelan and Douglas counties; coordinates livestock deadlines (beef by March 1, other animals by June 1 for Chelan fair), judging and showmanship contests.
412 Washington Street, WA | 509-667-6540 Website - WSU Extension Clallam County
County Extension office serving Clallam County from Port Angeles; residents use it for 4-H, small farm and horticulture questions and pesticide license exams.
1914 West 18th Street, Port Angeles, WA | 360-417-2279
Plus 46 more. Find yours on your county's page in the Washington directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.