Food Safety Education

Food safety is a priority for all events to maintain a healthy environment and to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.  It is important that 4-H groups prepare and serve food in compliance with state laws and local health department rules, including securing appropriate permits.  Where the risk is higher, such as events where food is served to large number of people in the public, food safety training is essential.

The goal of food safety education is to minimize the risk of foodborne illness at 4-H events where food is prepared or served.  This information is available as brochures.

For volunteers that handle food for their projects or fundraisers, we ask that the following ServSafe training is completed. https://www.servsafe.com/access/SS/Catalog/ProductDetail/SSECT6CA  The certificate is valid for 3 years. 

Food Preservation

Below are project manuals, a kit and a guide to be used in 4-H food preservation projects - freezing, pressure canning, food preservation, drying and boiling water canning.  They are all in PDF format.

Getting Started in Food Preservation Leaders Guide PDF
Food Preservation Members Kit PDF
Boiling Water Canning Project Manual PDF
Drying Project Manual PDF
Freezing Project Manual PDF
Pressure Canning Project Manual PDF

4-H Animal Science Curriculum

Project Leader Digest

Project Leader Digest (click for manual)

State Fashion Revue

State Fashion Revue Guide for Evaluators 2020

Clover Safe Notes

Clover Safe Notes   (click for website) are one page summaries of relevant safety information about specific topics. These notes continue to be developed as additional requests for training on specific topics are needed. Clover Safe notes are purposefully designed for their intended audience of 4-H staff, volunteers and members. Accordingly, Clover Safe notes incorporate a picture or drawing and information about topic-related injuries or illness to provoke the reader's interest followed by a succinct, bulleted or numbered, discussion of precautions to prevent topic-related injuries or illness. They are also concisely written to emphasize the primary safety issues related to the topic and restricted to one page to maintain the reader's attention. Finally, Clover Safe notes are intended to be used while connected to the web site or may be downloaded, printed, and handed out at 4-H activities and project meetings.

Safety Manual

4-H Safety Manual  (click for manual)  Many 4-H programs, projects, and events incorporate activities that inherently have various risks for injuries or disease exposures to both 4-H Youth Development Program volunteers and members. Information given in this manual has been developed for use by 4-H volunteers and members and is intended to provide initial guidance for implementing practices and procedures to reduce the risk of sustaining injuries or illnesses while participating in 4-H sponsored programs, projects, and events.

4-H Audio/Visual Resource Directory

Find out about available resources in the 4-H Audio/Visual Resource Directory. These slides, videos, DVDs, and CDs are available for check-out from the Cooperative Extension office. A deposit is required but will be refunded upon the timely return of the items. Audio/Visual Resource Directory.

Leslie Carman

You can order Leslie Carman 4-H Supplies by mail or on-line at http://www.4hsupplies.com.