January
Family Newsletter - January 27, 2022
Remember you must re-enroll yearly!
February upcoming events, activities & deadlines
Arts-In Director Applications Due Feb. 4
We are now accepting applications for the Arts-In Director position for our 2022 show season! This is a paid position that works with the Performing Arts Development Committee and student directors to write a script, select music, and put together all aspects of the Arts-In encampment. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and previous Arts-In experience is preferred. Applications are due to the Extension office no later than February 4th, 2022. Contact Megan with any questions at slate187@umn.edu.
Food Revue - Feb. 5
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 5th for Food Review 2022! Join us for this fun event where you can showcase your cooking skills and qualify for a State Fair trip (grade 6 and above). Open to all 4-H members including Cloverbuds! Learn more by reading the flyer below.
Plans are also being made to offer a Valentine's Food Workshop that will be held in conjunction with Food Review on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Hooley Hall. Anyone participating in Food Review will also be able to participate in the Foods Workshop around your judging time.
Deadline to register for Food Revue is January 28th https://forms.gle/CuuyaEqDZzQbuMUo7
Valentines theme Foods Workshop - Feb. 5
Date: Saturday, Feb 5th 10:00 – noon
Where: Hooley Hall on the Washington County Fairgrounds
What: 4-H Foods Workshop with a hint of Valentines! Tis the season of love! Come learn how to make a pizza starting from scratch. Youth attending will bring their pizza’s home to bake! 4-Hers will also be making some delicious Valentines treats!
Age: All 4-H members are invited
Cost for Foods Workshop: $15 (checks should be made out to Washington County 4-H)
Deadline to register is: Friday, January 28th! Register at https://forms.gle/zim9wRGGyfmkHgZU7
Food Revue will also be taking place in Hooley Hall on Feb. 5th beginning at 9:30 am. Food Revue is a 4-H event where members set up a table placing with a food item they have made (see above for more details on this event if you would like to participate). Food Revue is a yearly event that is open to all 4-H members including Cloverbuds. State Fair trips are awarded to youth who will complete 6th grade and up at the end of this school year. Youth are invited to participate in both Food Revue and the Foods Workshop, remember to register for both if you plan to participate!
Shooting Sports DNR Training - Need response ASAP
4-H’ers who are in 7th grade and up and interested in participating in the 2022 4-H Shooting Sports Season in the disciplines of; 22 rifle and .22 pistol, Muzzleloading, or Shotgun are required to complete DNR FireArm Safety Training prior to the season starting!
You have different options to complete FAS
- The online option is; HUNTERcourse.com - it takes about 15 hours on line to complete.
- Or if you prefer in-person classes, Oakdale Gun Club is offering in person classroom training beginning Feb. 8. Register at; https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/events/safety_training_class.html?id=67780 Classes fill fast.
- Fees for the training are handled by the DNR.
- Youth need to be 11 years old to complete FAS, but they will need to wait until they are 12 to register with the DNR.
Youth must complete the in-person or online DNR FAS course before Field Day testing which is coming quickly on Feb. 27th at the Oakdale Gun Club!
Field Day testing info;
Location - Oakdale Gun Club
Day - Sunday, February 27
Time - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
4-H’ers - PLEASE complete the google doc if you will be participating in Field Day at: https://forms.gle/xUwkTRBVTV8AXfhw8
Parents, please send Joel at; youth@oakdalegunclub.org a pic of their Completed On-Line Certificate to register for Field Day.
Any questions can be directed to Tim Warmka at; tlwarmka@gmail.com
Share the Fun & Performing Arts Workshop - Feb. 12
Are you interested in learning more about the Performing Arts? Does your club want to put together a Share the Fun skit, but you’re not sure where to start? Then this workshop is for you! Join experienced Performing Arts and Share the Fun volunteers on Saturday, February 12th at Hooley Hall from 1-3 PM for an immersive workshop. Both youth and adults are welcome - Youth participants will learn more about the Performing Arts, while parents and club volunteers learn how to create a Share the Fun skit! No cost to participate, must be registered by Feb. 7 at https://forms.gle/UCgXCffu5NyoQC6H7
Market Beef and Dairy Steers ID Deadline - Feb. 15
All Market Beef and Dairy Steers need to be tagged and entered into 4honline no later than Tuesday, Feb 15. Details will be emailed to families enrolled in the Beef Project. All 4-Her’s must be re-enrolled in 4-H to enter an animal ID. Any questions, please contact Ann Church at churc109@umn.edun
Moonlight Guided Snowshoeing - Feb. 17
4-H families are invited to attend a Moonlight Guided Snowshoeing Hike at Carpenter Nature Center! This event is being held for Washington County 4-H’ers and their families on Thursday, Feb 17 to utilize the full moon! A naturalist will be leading our group on this exciting adventure. If the snow conditions do not warrant snowshoeing, we will meet and walk on the trails. Numbers are limited, so please complete the registration early!
When: Thursday, Feb. 17 from 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm (please arrive at 6:45 pm)
Where; Carpenter Nature Center
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center
12805 St. Croix Trail S
Hastings, MN 55033
Deadline to register: Thursday, Feb. 10th! Register at https://forms.gle/g3pzajaD6XMaPqSV6
Cost: $10 per participant for those renting snowshoes
If you have your own snowshoes, cost is $5/participant. If there is not enough snow for snowshoeing, the fee would be $5 per person. Please make checks payable to; Washington County 4-H or bring exact amount of cash on the evening of the event.
Cloverbud Workshop - Feb. 19
Calling all Cloverbuds! Join us at Hooley Hall on Saturday, February 19th from 9 AM - Noon for a day full of STEM. We will have guest scientists, Ambassador led experiments, games, food and fun. All Cloverbuds and non 4-Hers in grades K-2 are invited to come meet new friends and participate in hands-on project learning. We plan to spend time outside, so come dressed for the weather! Pizza lunch will be included.
Cost is $10 if sent in by the deadline of February 9. After February 9, cost is $20 and must be prepaid for supplies and pizza. Sign up at https://forms.gle/znn7aiPKgNTLA1bF9
Contact Megan at slate187@umn.edu or Caitlin at crademac@umn.edu with any questions.
Llama Project Meeting - Feb. 22
Anyone interested in learning more about the Llama project is invited to join the first project meeting of the year on Tuesday, Feb. 22, starting at 7:00 pm at Hooley Hall on the fairgrounds. We are very fortunate to have Dan Whittaker work with youth interested in the llama project! Thank you Dan! If you want to learn more about the Llama project and steps to lease an animal, please plan to attend this meeting or contact Dan with questions at; llamadan@aol.com
BLU/TEEL Workshops - Feb. 26
Registration deadline is fast approaching for our Building Leadership and Understanding (BLU) and Teens Engaged in Emerging Leadership (TEEL) workshops happening this February! The cost for the one-day event is $65.
Feb. 26: Central- University of Minnesota-St Paul Student Center - Register by February 4
To learn more and register for BLU visit https://z.umn.edu/4-HBLU.
To learn more and register for TEEL visit https://z.umn.edu/4-HTEEL.
Take Home Crafts
We have a number of beginning Iris folding kits, heart themed just in time for Valentines. Also some intermediate kits, Clover themed. Contact our office to schedule a pick up time. mnext-washington@umn.edu
Looking forward to March
Let the Good Times Roll, Washington County 4-H or Bust!
Join us for spring break road trip themed day camps this March 8th - 11th. We start in the big city exploring projects like performing arts and crafts followed by a day at the farm to work with products produced on a farm and then up north to explore things related to STEM. Finish off the week with a trip to the beach and family bingo night with pizza and prizes! Bring along a friend.
Day camps will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day from Tuesday through Thursday. Open to grades K-6. Cost is $50.00 We are also in need of camp counselors from grades 7 and up to help us out. Friday evening 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. is for the whole family! Sign up now, deadline is March 1st.
Summer Resident Camp
Save the Date for 4-H Resident Camp!
4-H Overnight Camp is scheduled for June 13-15, 2022. This is a great opportunity for youth in grades 3-8 to connect with new and old friends, enjoy nature, and try new things! Camp will be held at the Baker Outdoor Learning Center in Maple Plain, MN with 4-Her’s from Washington and Dakota County. Youth in grades 9+ will serve as camp counselors alongside Baker Camp and 4-H staff. If our first session of camp fills up, we will hold a waiting list and see if we have enough campers to offer a second session on June 15-17. Watch for registration materials to come out soon!
Apply to be a Camp Counselor at 4-H Resident Camp!
Do you enjoy working with youth and being out in nature? Do you consider yourself a leader or want the chance to expand your leadership skills? If yes, we hope you apply to become a 4-H Camp Counselor! Resident Camp is an overnight camp for youth in grades 3-8, scheduled for June 13-15, 2022 at Baker Outdoor Learning Center. Counselors must be in grades 9+. Applications are due March 1.
Animal Science News
So you want to show an animal at the fair
In an effort to help families find individuals who are willing to lease project animals we are asking for some help. We are often asked by families if they can lease an animal and the short answer is YES! The next question is "Who can I contact about leasing a . . .(species)?" Well, that is a bit harder.
Perhaps you are a 4-H alumni, a farmer, a boarder, or know someone who is willing to help a new project member get started in learning about a particular species. If that is the case we want to hear from you! If you are a member looking to learn more about a species, we want to hear from you too!
Let's help each other! Please fill out a short survey so we can get the process going. All animals need to be ID'ed by May 16th to show at the fair.
Performing Arts News
One Act Play
Are you interested in acting? St. Croix Clover is looking for more 4-Hers to join them for the cast of this year's One Act Play. The production will be The Pied Piper. Any 4-Her in 3rd grade and up is welcome to participate. Auditions will take place in early January with rehearsals starting later in January. The play will be performed during the Performing Arts Festival in May. Please contact Liberty Belter, 651-428-5185 or tenderheartschildcare@yahoo.com
County Youth Leadership Opportunities
Teen Teachers needed for reading buddies in Forest Lake & Lake Elmo!
We're bringing the reading buddy experience back in 2022, in-person! Washington County 4-H is partnering with the Washington County Libraries to pair children with a 4-H reading buddy and staff member. Participants will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills with a 4-H mentor for 15-minute sessions at the Hardwood Creek Library in Forest Lake, and the Lake Elmo Library. Young readers who are interested can sign up through the Washington County Library system.
Sessions will take place on various Tuesday's and Thursday’s starting in January. Volunteers are able to sign up for as many sessions as they are able. See specific dates and locations in registration form. Additional dates/times will be added as we move into the spring. Register at https://forms.gle/V2ag1JZ4K3Jzp3eu5
Sign up to be a 2021-2022 Washington County Ambassador!
Are you in 7th grade or above? Do you want to build your leadership skills and meet new friends? The Washington County 4-H Ambassadors meet once a month to plan workshops and camps for younger members, service projects, and fun social events! This is a great opportunity to expand your leadership to the next level while meeting friends from around the county. All skill levels and experience are welcome!
Fill out this quick google form to show your interest in the Washington County 4-H Ambassador program:
Teen Teachers needed for Youth Teaching Youth!
Are you in grades 9-12 and interested in teaching your younger peers? Youth Teaching Youth is for you! Teen Teachers teach in elementary school classrooms and library settings. Training and guided curriculum options are provided. We are looking for teens in the South Washington County, Stillwater, and Forest Lake Area Schools. Don't miss this opportunity to build your resume and improve your public speaking skills in a supportive environment. Contact Megan Slater if you are interested in learning more at slate187@umn.edu.
Upcoming Events/Activities and Deadlines
Animal Science
- February 15 - All Market Beef and Dairy Steers will need to be identified by the Feb. 15th ID deadline. More information will be emailed directly to those enrolled in the beef project in mid January.
- April 12 - Dog Orientation. Time to get your Dog ID completed and uploaded to 4honline. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aZnG9UoAdit_z7ElBHiHM8b10XaIbVHHdE6lyonEZlU/edit
- April 19 - Dog Demo Night
- April 26 - Weekly Dog training starts!
- May 16 - Animal identification deadline - All animals coming to the fair need to be identified by this date in your 4honline family account. This is a state deadline and consequences apply (no state trips, no premium, no auction, etc.) if you miss this deadline. Only exceptions are as follows; market beef (due Feb. 15), poultry (leased birds and doves/pigeons need to be ID'ed) & pet show animals.
- June 12-15 - Washington County Horse Camp. Must be enrolled in 4-H and provide your own horse. Registration opens April 1 and will be emailed to those enrolled in the Horse project.
- July 30-31 - County Dog Show
- Aug. 3-7 - Washington County Fair (All animal shows except Dog)
Summer Camps
- June 12-15 - Washington County Horse Camp at Hooley Hall (Age 10 and up as of Jan. 1, 2022) Must have your own horse.
- June 13-15 - Resident Camp - Grades 3-8 at Baker Outdoor Learning Center in Maple Plain, MN
- July 11-14 - Washington County Day Camps at Hooley Hall - Grades K-6
Performing Arts
- May 13 - Performing Arts Night - Our Performing Arts Night is scheduled for Friday, May 13th at the Park Pavilion on the Washington County Fairgrounds. This will be a night for Share the Fun skits, One Act plays, and Performing Arts judging.
- NEW THIS YEAR - Performing Arts will be judged on this day rather than during the General Project Judging day before the County Fair. This is to give participants a chance to showcase their talents and perform in front of an audience. Conference judging will still take place after the performances.
STEM - Upcoming Workshops
- Feb. 19 - Hooley Hall from 9:00am-12:00pm (Details above)
- March 10 - STEM themed Day Camp.
- April 30 - STEM Workshop with Master Gardeners
Youth enrollment and animal ID deadline
- May 16, 2022
Washington County Fair
- July 1 - County fair registration deadline. All projects/animals need to be entered in FairEntry by this date.
- July 30 - 4-H General/Static project judging (Saturday)
- Aug. 3-7 - Washington County Fair
Volunteer Training Opportunity
If you missed the Fall Volunteer Training, there will be another chance to participate! Any 4-H volunteer is welcome to register and participate in the virtual training. Read more about Facilitating Youth Sparks at; Facilitating Youth Sparks. Volunteer training will be offered on Wednesday, February 9th, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. Register here.
2022 SS&W Leader Certification Trainings
We are in need of Certified Trainers for the 2022 Shooting Sports season. Certified Trainers for 4-H must be certified through the 4-H Program. Current trainers need to recertify every 7 years. There are some upcoming Training opportunities - check it out! Information and steps to become certified can be found at; https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-events/4-h-shooting-sports-and-wildlife-leader-certification
Creative Arts & Crafts volunteers needed!
We are looking for a few older youth or adults willing to coordinate an Arts & Crafts Workshop this spring! Washington County has a lot of 4-H members who are passionate about the Arts & Crafts project area. If you have a skill you are willing to share with 4-H’ers or have a contact of someone who could help us out for a morning of creativity, please contact Ann at; churc109@umn.edu
THANK YOU!
Thank you to Tim & Megan Newcomb and the Town of May 4-H club for hosting our Second Annual Ice Fishing Tournament! Your expertise welcomed new and experienced families out on the ice to embrace Minnesota’s winter weather.
Thank you to Paige Newcomb for presenting her National 4-H Congress Trip at our January Federation Meeting! It was fun hearing about the workshops and the new connections Paige made to 4-H’ers around the country.
Thank you to the great group of new families who attended our January Orientation! We are excited to have you join the Washington County 4-H program! Watch for more Orientations to come in the coming months!
New Family Survey
We invite new families who have been enrolled in 4-H for less than 2 years to take a short survey.
We want to take this opportunity to gather some information on how to better serve you and make your 4-H experience a positive one like it has been for so many 4-H families before you. With all the project areas and directions that 4-Hers can explore and develop from we need your help in finding what areas we as staff need to focus on to meet the current needs of our families. Our goal is to take the results of this survey and implement future programming
This will only take a few minutes to complete and we thank you for your input.
Washington County Extension website - the place to find information!
- Current and past Family Newsletters
- County Animal ID letters
- News articles about our larger ongoing project areas
- Events calendar
- County club map with contacts
- County Fair information as it becomes available
- Much more
County membership fee update!
As you may have noticed, shortly after you enrolled online you were approved. Monthly email reminders will be sent to families who have not paid their county fees. We continue to accept checks/cash at any time. Please pay your membership fee, county fees are used not only for programming but also towards salaries for county personnel.
Washington County has a yearly enrollment fee of $25.00 per member (youth only) or $100 max per family for 4 or more children. We ask that you please send payment to our office address listed below.
Checks should be made out to Washington County 4-H and sent to the following address:
Washington County 4-H
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082
**For those using online banking, please be sure to include Washington County 4-H as checks made out to just Washington County go directly to the property tax office**
We don't want anyone to miss out so please just let us know if you need a scholarship for enrollment. You will find the scholarship link below. Also, if you would like to donate to the scholarship fund, this can be done at any time. Scholarship requests have increased dramatically in the past few years.
Ann Church
Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development
(651) 430-6809
churc109@umn.edu
Megan Slater
Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development
(651) 430-6805
slate187@umn.edu
Caitlin Rademacher
Interim Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development
(651) 430-6807
Kathy Erf
Principal Office & Administrative Specialist
(651) 430-6800
eber0002@umn.edu
Washington County 4-H
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082
(We are located in the Stillwater Government Center)
Office hours - Please call ahead as staff hours do vary.
8:00am-4:30pm (Monday-Thursday)
Friday by appointment
651-430-6800 or mnext-washington@umn.edu