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Our second Commodity Cookery Contest will be held on December 7, 2026. This will include the Sugar Cookery and the Seafood Cookery Contests.
Commodity Cookery Rules & Regulations (All Grades): Doors will open at 7:30am. for those who have school that day. Others may bring their dish at 8:30am. Dishes may be dropped off by a parent, and you do not have to be present to receive an award. Judging will begin at 9:00 AM. Once judging begins, no late dishes will be accepted. ALL participants must submit their recipe at the time of entry with category, division, name, grade and school club on the back of the recipe. Only one copy of the recipe (neatly handwritten or typed) is required. Each participant may ONLY ENTER ONE DISH IN EACH COMMODITY SUBCATEGORY. For example, you may enter a dish in Sugar Baked Items and one in Sugar Other Dessert, but NOT two in Sugar Other Dessert. Remember, dishes must be prepared at home. Each dish must be chilled on ice to 40° or lower (even cakes and cookies), plated in a disposable container and brought to the contest in an ice chest accompanied with ICE, or they will be disqualified. No place mats, serving utensils or flower arrangements, etc. will be accepted. NOTE: only 3-4 servings of the dish must be plated at the contest. For example, if the recipe states that it serves six, only three servings should be displayed but your recipe must state the entire serving size. All first place winners will advance to the regional cookery competition.
Sugar Cookery:Recipe must include at least one cup of sugar which includes raw, brown, powdered & granulated sugars only. Divisions: Baked items (bread, cakes, pies, cookies, etc.) and Other Dessert (candies, icebox pies, ice cream, etc. Homemade jams, jellies and preserves or raw eggs are NOT accepted entries).
Seafood Cookery:The dish must use at least one (1) cup of seafood.The seafood must be fresh, frozen, pasteurized or dried.Canned seafood is not acceptable.Surimi, an artificial crab made from fish, cannot be used.There can be no raw seafood in the final dish.The Seafood Cookery offers five divisions: Shrimp, Crawfish. Oyster, Fish/Non-Traditional, Crab. Entries in categories 1 -5 may contain a small amount of a second seafood but not more than ½ of the amount of the primary seafood.For example, a recipe could contain one cup of crab as the primary seafood and ½ cup of shrimp as the secondary seafood.
The 4-H Fashion Board would like to invite 5th-12th graders to come experience the Fashion & Beyond On Tour. Join us as we travel to Crowley, LA, bringing fashion to your fingertips on January 18, 2027, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at the 4-H Office. You will get a closer look at all aspects of the fashion world, from floor analysis, upcycling, service projects, to basic sewing fundamentals. You will engage in multiple sessions of activities planned by the fabulous fashion board. The cost is $35 per person. Limited registration spots available! No Sewing skills needed! Contact the 4-H office for more details and to be added to the event registration in 4HOnline when it opens on December 1st! Spots are limited to 50 people and payment must be made at the time of registration in order to secure your spot.
Do you enjoy drawing and expressing yourself artistically? If you said yes, then the Achievement Day Theme contest is for you! All you need to do is come up with a catchy slogan and a colorful picture. Draw your creation on regular 8 1/2" X 11" typing paper and turn it into your school. Entries relating to the advertisement of cigarettes or alcohol will not be accepted. Entries are due on October 26th. Be sure to include your name, school, and grade on the back of the entry.Multiple entries per participant will be accepted.No computer-generated themes will be accepted! Themes will not be given back. The overall winner will receive a cash prize at Achievement Day!
Join in on this service project and contest in one! The Life Book contest is to design a cover sheet for a Life Book. The designed cover sheet must say the words “My Life Book”. Only the cover sheet will be judged for the contest. The cover sheet will not be donated with the Life Book. The actual Life Book will be donated to youth in foster care in Acadia Parish, for them to keep a record of their life using photos, artwork and mementos collected along the way. These Life Book journals allow youth in foster care to document their history, celebrate accomplishments and let their talents shine!
This contest is open to all 4-H members! The contest is to design a creative cover and assemble a Life Book for a foster care youth. Cover entries should be one page, single-sided and contain the words “My Life Book”. Multiple entries will be accepted. No computer-generated themes accepted. Cover designs will be judged in two divisions: 4th-6th graders and 7th-12th graders. First place winners in each division will receive a $50 prize and second place winners will receive a $25 prize! Entries are due to the 4-H Office by December 7, 2026.
Materials needed:
-1 1/2-inch binder (with clear pocket on front cover)
-24 clear heavyweight sheet protectors
-Life Book template pages, printed single-sided (available from the 4-H Office or via email)
-card stock for the cover
-5-10 sheets of colored, heavy paper or construction paper in the back pocket
-1-inch spiral notebook in the front pocket.
Please note that all materials for assembling the binder should be new, store bought items.
To assemble the book:
-select a binder
-place 24 clear heavyweight sheet protectors in the binder
-insert printed life book template pages into the sheet protectors so that the pages appear two-sided. Continue until the entire template has been added
-design a creative cover sheet and insert in the clear pocket on the outside front cover of the binder
-place spiral notebook in the front pocket of the binder
-place extra colored paper in the back pocket of the binder
For the contest entry sheet and to print Life Book pages, visit our website.
The Louisiana Food & Fitness Board will be hosting two day camps this year! One on January 14, 2027, in Alexandria from 10am-3 pm and one on January 15, 2027, in Baton Rouge from 10am-3pm. Participants will learn the basics of nutrition, food safety, and knife skills while exploring topics such as MyPlate, physical activity, safety, and mindfulness through interactive rotations. They’ll also prepare their own lunch and get a goody bag of items to take to continue practicing healthy habits at home. This camp is open to 4th-6th graders and costs $35 to attend (lunch included). Only 50 registration spots are available per location! Registration opens through your 4-HOnline account on December 1, 2026. Payment must be made at the time of registration in order to secure your spot.
Animals must be in the exhibitor’s possession and validated by the following dates below. An LSU AgCenter agent or FFA advisor MUST be present during the validation process when DNA samples are collected. Validation will consist of: Ear tagging animal. Collecting hair sample and/or DNA sample; hair sample should be placed in a properly identified validation envelope for each animal validated.Exhibiters must enter animal information into the
4-H Online system on or before deadline. Animals validated must be in the exhibitor’s name or family name. Animals tagged for the 2026 LA State Fair may utilize the State Fair tag but must still pull hair to complete the LSU AgCenter State Show validations. Acadia Parish will utilize central office validation days for each species. All validation dates will take place at the LSU AgCenter Office from 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM:
Validation and Possession Dates: Com.=Commercial. Com. Does, Market Goats, Com. Lambs, Market Lambs, Com. Heifers and Com. Dairy Heifers: November 9, 2026. Market Swine and Com. Gilts: December 1, 2026.
Don’t miss out on a fun night of basketball and fan experiences! The 4-H Night with the Pelicans game is scheduled for Friday, January 8, 2027. There will be a private pre-game party for 4-H members and Pelicans fans at the Smoothie King Center from 3:30-4:30 PM. Ticket prices vary. If you purchase tickets and want the chance to have an on court fan opportunity, please contact the 4-H office or email Mrs. Kayla Segura at [email protected]. Tickets can be purchased here https://pels.group/4H. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait to purchase!
This contest is open to 4-H members in 4th-12th grades with all skill levels from beginners to advanced sewers! Participants will construct a 100% cotton apron showcasing their sewing skills and creativity. The apron is to be sewed/ constructed by the participant and turned in for judging. Aprons will be judged on construction and appearance. Participants will be judged in the following divisions- Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. Participants will model their aprons in front of appearance judges and at Achievement Day.
Contest Rules:
Aprons
-Fabric: 100% cotton fabric must be used for the apron.
-Thread: Any color or type of thread is allowed.
-Notions: Participants can use any additional notions (buttons, zippers, trims) as desired.
Apron Specifications
-Size: the apron must fit the youth making the apron.
-Design: must include at least one pocket and ties at the waist
Submission Guidelines
-Completed aprons must be submitted with the filled-out datasheet by the deadline March 29, 2027. Datasheets can be found on our website under the contest/events tab (www.lsuagcenter.com/acadia4h) or pick up a copy from the 4-H Office
-Participants must include a brief description of their design process and inspiration (max 150 words).
-Aprons should be clean and free from any visible marks or stains.
Judging Criteria
-Construction (100 points):
The apron should demonstrate good workmanship and effort.
Participants are encouraged to include any sewing techniques such as: Gathering, Trims or ruffles, Pockets, Appliqué or embellishments. Aprons should be clean, pressed, and finished (no loose threads).
-Appearance (100) points:
Overall appearance, Fit and wearability, Design and visual appeal, Grooming and presentation, Confidence while modeling
Additional Information
-Contestants may seek advice from fellow participants or instructors, but all work must be their own.
-An in-person showcase will be held for participants to present their aprons and discuss their creative processes at Achievement Day on May 3, 2027, at Midland High School. Good luck, and happy sewing!
We are excited to introduce the new Sewing Exhibition Contest, giving members in grades 4-12 another opportunity to showcase their sewing talents and creativity. This exhibition category is designed for youth who enjoy sewing and would like to display projects in a format that focuses on craftsmanship, creativity, and skill development. Participants may enter a variety of handmade items such as pillows, bags, vests, stuffed animals, dolls, and other sewn creations. The options are endless! All projects must be constructed by the 4-H member and include at least four sewn seams. Simply decorating or embellishing a pre-made item does not qualify for this contest, and aprons are not eligible for entry. Each project must have a complete sewing exhibition information sheet attached to the item. Completed items must be submitted with the filled-out datasheet by the deadline March 29, 2027. Datasheets can be found on our website under the contest/events tab (www.lsuagcenter.com/acadia4h) or pick up a copy from the 4-H Office
Entries will be judged within three age divisions: 4th-5th grades, 6th-8th grades, and 9th-12th grades. Judges will evaluate projects based on overall appearance, neatness, difficulty of technique, appropriate use of materials, creativity, and how well the project meets contest requirements. One unique feature of this exhibition is that participants will not be required to complete an interview, unlike some other sewing categories. Awards and placings will be announced at Achievement Day, where all projects will be displayed for the public to view. Exhibitors may pick up their projects at Achievement Day or later from the 4-H office. Whether you're an experienced sewer or trying a new project for the first time, the Sewing Exhibition Contest is a great opportunity to build confidence, learn new skills, and share your creativity with others. We look forward to seeing the amazing projects our 4-H members create!
Acadia parish will be offering FREE horse clinics every month! We will again team up with master horsemen throughout the region. The first clinic will be held at the Acadia Parish Rice Arena on November 30th from 6-8 PM. In order to attend youth must be an approved 4-H member AND bring your own horse. For more information or questions, please call Emma Zaunbrecher Tyler at 337-366-2109.
