Palo Pinto County

AgriLife Extension Service Office
Small group of red calves.

Welcome to the Palo Pinto County Extension Office!

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is a statewide educational agency and a member of the Texas A&M University System linked in a unique partnership with the nationwide United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension System and County Commissioners Courts of Texas.  The mission of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, is a seemingly simple one: improving the lives of people, businesses, and communities across Texas and beyond through high-quality, relevant education.  AgriLife Extension offers a diverse array of educational programs, activities, and resources.

Extension brings the resources of the Texas A&M University System to Palo Pinto County. Through field based faculty, Extension provides unbiased, research-based information, educational programs and technical assistance in the following core service areas:

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Family and Community Health
  • 4-H and Youth Development
  • Community and Economic Development

About Palo Pinto County

Palo Pinto County, with a population of 29,747, is located in north central Texas. The county covers 948 square miles with the center of the county being 80 miles west of Fort Worth.

Palo Pinto County was established by the Texas state legislature in 1856 and organized the next year.  The town of Golconda was chosen to be the county seat and was renamed Palo Pinto in 1858.

Land uses in the county include: forage, wheat, sorghum, pecans, cattle grazing and recreational. Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Palo Pinto, and Lake Mineral Wells provide opportunities for fishing and other water sports. Other recreational opportunities include scenic drives, visits to Lake Mineral Wells State Park or Possum Kingdom State Park, and hunting.

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2026 Palo Pinto County Livestock Show

The 2026 PPCLA Livestock Show and Premium Sale will be held January 6 -10, 2026 at the Expo Building in Mineral Wells.

Palo Pinto County Livestock Show Judges

Palo Pinto County Stock Show Rules

Palo Pinto County Stock Show Schedule

 

 

Upcoming 4-H Events in Palo Pinto County

  • 4-H Livestock Judging Practice Dates (click on image below)
  • October 20, 2025 – Lamb, Goat, & Heifer Validation for County & Major Shows (scroll down for more information) 
  • November 4, 2025 – Major Show Entry Night – The Palo Pinto County Extension Office will be staying open until 7:00 p.m. on this day so 4-H families can complete their Major Stock Show entries such as Fort Worth, San Angelo, San Antonio, Houston, & Austin.  Entry fees are due at the time of entering, and you will need exhibitor’s SS# and Quality Counts number.  Please give us a call at 940-659-1228 if you have any questions.

Livestock Validation Dates & Horticulture Show Information

October 20, 2025 

  • Lamb, Goat, & Heifer Validation 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. PPCLA Expo Building
  • Chick orders for the county stock show are due – 4:00 -7:00 p.m. at PPCLA Expo Building
  • Horticulture Entries for the County Show are due – 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the PPCLA Expo
    • All projects/plants must be in the possession and executed by the exhibitor by October 20, 2025.
    • Exhibitors must submit an image of the plant/picture to authenticate to Cindy Peugh at [email protected] by October 20, 2025. The complete rules and guidelines for the Horticulture Show are in the rulebook below.

November 8, 2025 – Swine Validation in Graford after the local stock show

November 12, 2025 – Swine Validation in Mineral Wells from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the David Hardy Ag Facility

November 20, 2025 – Swine Validation in Santo from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the A.B. Gilbert Ag Facility

**Important notes…

  • A parent or guardian must be present to sign validation paperwork
  • Please bring exhibitor’s ss# to fill out a w-9 form
  • You must bring your animals to validation to be eligible to show
  • ALL County Show entry fees will be due at the time of validation
  • Please visit the County Show Entry Link below to fill out your entry card BEFORE validation.

Firewise Educational Program to be held in Palo Pinto

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service along with the Texas A&M Forest Service will be providing a Firewise Program in Palo Pinto County on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Click on the link below for more information.

Firewise Program Information

Palo Pinto County