March

Welcome to our Family Newsletter! The most up-to-date information about events and activities going on in Washington County 4-H! Please pass along to friends and family that might be interested in attending a 4-H event. You will also receive the monthly Clover Update at the beginning of each month highlighting regional and state events.

There are links at the end of this newsletter with more information about enrollment. If you have any problems with registrations or need more information on enrollment please contact our office by email at mnext-washington@umn.edu or phone at 651-430-6800. While the 4-H year is a year-round organization, you must be enrolled BEFORE May 15th to avoid any penalties. This is also the deadline that all animals must be identified in your family account (except poultry unless leasing).

Join us for an evening of fun and social time with other 4-H families. Pizza will be served starting at 6:00 pm until gone. Bingo with fun prizes will be our entertainment and if you are new to 4-H visit with staff about any 4-H questions you may have. Please pre-register!

The Horse PDC (Project Development Committee) will kick off the new year with their first meeting on Monday, March 14, beginning at 7:00 pm at the Stillwater Gov’t Center. The Horse PDC oversees Camps, Clinics, Horse Education and County Fair Shows. If you would like to learn more about this committee, please contact Ann at; churc109@umn.edu .

The first Llama Project Kick Off Meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 1st. The meeting on March 1st will begin at 7:00 pm at Hooley Hall on the fairgrounds. Additional llama meetings will be held on Tuesday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 29th beginning at 7:00 pm at Hooley Hall.

We would like to have a list of families who plan to participate in the 2022 Llama Project in case there is a need to communicate any changes to the meeting schedule. Please email Ann @ churc109@umn.edu with your name and contact info. Some of you have already communicated with Ann your interest, so do not need to send another email.

It’s that time of year again, Arts-In is looking for Student Directors! You will work in cooperation with the directors to put together the show – Participating in script development, musical selection, encampment activities, and a specific area of interest (performing, costuming, technical, or band). A detailed description of the position is outlined in the application. Application deadline is Friday, March 18th, so don’t delay!

Apply here!

Anyone who missed our January meeting and all those new to 4-H are welcome to join us on March 22 starting at 7:00 pm in learning more about 4-H. Ask questions and learn from other new families! Signup to get a zoom link sent directly to you. Pre-register here!

Join us for Creative Arts Night on Friday, April 8 at Hooley Hall

Cost will be $15/participant. Payments should be made out to Washington County 4-H and sent to

Washington County 4-H

14949 62nd Street North

Stillwater, MN 55082

No refunds after April 1.

Pizza will be served for dinner.(gluten free can be added under food allergies)

Classes include:

A. Wood burning – This class teaches texture and shading techniques that will be used to decorate a wooden item. You’re welcome to bring a pattern you want to burn from home or make up your own on the spot; there will also be a variety of patterns and ideas provided at class.

B. Paper cup May Day basket weaving – This craft is for kids to make and gift to a friend or keep themselves. Using a paper cup to decorate a basket that you fill with fresh or paper flowers to give as a May Day gift. These baskets can also be made into creative storage for odds and ends! This craft is ideal for all skill levels and varying levels of individualized supervision.

C. Household Crochet - Learn how to crochet! We will learn how to use a variety of crochet stitches in our projects. We will be creating coasters, dishrags, or hot pads to use around your house! This will be a great introduction to crochet.

D. Marble Oil Painting & Card Marking – Learn the art of printing multi-color swirled or stone like patterns on paper. Then utilize pre done marble oil painting to make Mother’s day or other greeting cards.

E. Paper Bead Making – Learn this craft from the Victorian age of rolling scraps of paper. Bring your own paper scraps or utilize the provided collection of paper. The beads will be finished Mod Podge to give them durability to be used for jewelry or beaded curtains.

Don't miss out, register today!

Dog Training is right around the corner! Please pre-register here along with completing your Dog ID below. We use the registration to organize the training classes. Dog Orientation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12th at 6 PM in Hooley Hall. This is an opportunity to meet the trainers, learn more about the different training areas to participate in, and answer any questions you may have. Dogs do not need to be brought to the orientation. Demonstration Night will be held the following Tuesday, April 19th at 6 PM at Hooley Hall. Training will begin the following Tuesday, weather permitting.

All dogs must be ID’ed prior to attending training, so don’t forget to schedule your vet visits and complete your ID! The Dog ID needs to be uploaded into your 4HOnline account to be considered complete.

Print the Dog ID form and bring it with you to your veterinarian appointment.

Spring is just around the corner! We want to be ready for those May flowers. But how do those come to be? On April 30th, Washington County 4-H is partnering with our Master Gardeners to provide our 3rd through 6th-grade members an opportunity to learn all about plant science. Please register by April 20th at the following link: https://z.umn.edu/April2022stemworkshop.

If you have any questions, contact Caitlin at crademac@umn.edu.

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.

Fill out the Camp Counselor application here!

4-H summer camp at Baker Outdoor Learning Center is a great way to have fun, meet new friends and explore new things! Campers will spend three days and two nights at camp enjoying swimming, nature activities, games, crafts, educational programs, cabin life, campfires and more! Camp is led by Baker Near Wilderness staff, 4-H Extension educators and high-school aged camp counselors (grades 9–12+). Gather your friends and sign-up. You won't want to miss this amazing camp opportunity this summer! Camp is open to all youth!

Registration fee includes meals and lodging for three days/two nights, camp programming, supplies, transportation, and camp t-shirt. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Payment must be included with registration form to secure your spot. Registration closes when camp is full or on May 13, whichever occurs first.

Dakota and Washington County 4-H Camp Registration Form - Grades 3-8

Registration is not complete until payment has been received. Scholarships are available. Contact 4-H Extension educator in your county for more information on scholarships.

*Non 4-H members are welcome to attend camp but must complete 4-H membership registration and pay membership dues. Contact the 4-H Extension educator in your county for 4-H enrollment materials.

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 FireArm Safety

• 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. More information can be found at https://oakdalegunclub.org/training/dnr-youth-firearm-safety/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.

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

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.

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

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.

• February 15 - All Market Beef and Dairy Steers needed to be identified by the Feb. 15th ID deadline. Information was emailed directly to those enrolled in the beef project in mid January and again February 7th.
• 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 24 - 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.
• May 16 - Additional ID Info. If you are activating a previously ID'ed animal. You must overwrite the past years Coggins or Dog Vaccination form with current 2022 paperwork in order to comply. All animals should be activated for the current year. This includes animals that you do not intend to show this year but may show in future years.
• 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)

• 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
• June 13-17 - YELLO (Youth Exploring Leadership & Learning Opportunities) Grades 7-13 at Bemidji State University.
• July 11-14 - Washington County Day Camps at Hooley Hall - Grades K-6

• 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.
• July 10 - County Arts-In Auditions
• July 17-20 - County Arts-In Encampment

• April 30 - STEM Workshop with Master Gardeners

• May 16, 2022

• 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)
• July 30-31 - County 4-H Dog Show
• Aug. 3-7 - Washington County Fair

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

Check out this state page for helpful resources!

https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/4-h-volunteer/

Apply to be a 4-H screened volunteer

https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/4-h-volunteer/

The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development invites you to participate in one or more of our FREE webinars from January - April 2022. Together with our partners, we have created six dynamic series that you may find of interest:

No Place Like Home series

• March 22 - Making Your Home Healthier
  
• April 6 - RentWise 101
• April 14 - Consejos para rentar una vivienda (Tips for renting a home)

Recovery & Health series

• March 15 - Recovery Health Changemakers
  
• March 16 - Befriending Your Emotions in Recovery
• March 29 - Nutrition and Physical Activity for Recovery
• April 5 - Opioid Overdoses: Risk Factors, Signs and Saving Lives!
• April 5 - A community engaged approach to supporting recovery from Substance Use Disorders
• April 12 - Harm Reduction 101

Finding Balance

• March 23 - Ambiguous Loss in Rural Communities Training 101
• April 20 - Creating Balance in the Chaos

Making Cents of It All

• March 17 - A quien le dejamos que? Que se considera una herencia y como dividirla (Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate)

• March 31 - Thrifty Thursdays - Building Credit with a Credit Card

• April 7 - Thrifty Thursdays - Budgeting with a Calendar System

• April 12 - Make Money Make Sense

• April 14 - Thrifty Thursdays - Budgeting Using Apps or Excel

• April 19 - Get Ready, Get Set, Get Going: A Guide to Money Management

• April 21 - Thrifty Thursdays - Budgeting with an Envelope System

• April 28 - Thrifty Thursdays - Plugging Your Spending Leaks

Family Friendly Earth Care Series

• April 7 - Food Composting 101
  

• April 21 - Reducing your Family’s Carbon Footprint

Stand Alone Webinars

· March 15 - Community engaged work in family science and health and nutrition

Please register for the webinars you plan to attend by using the links above. We encourage you to share these opportunities with your friends, family, co-workers, networks, and program participants by forwarding this email or sharing the attached fliers, which can also be accessed here:

· Flier - Winter-Spring webinars 2022 plus

· Flier - Charlas in Espanol - 2022 Jan - Apr

· Flier - Family Friendly Earth Care - 2022 Jan - Apr

· Flier - Finding Balance - 2022 Jan - Apr

· Flier - Making Cents of It All - 2022 Jan - Apr

· Flier - No Place Like Home 2022 Jan - Apr

· Flier - Recovery & Health 2022 Jan - Apr

https://extension.umn.edu/news/parents-forever-helps-families-25-years

Our February meeting was on 2/21/22 at Baytown Community Center was called to order at 6:35 pm by Abby. Ty held the American flag and Molly held the 4-H flag for the pledges. The Cloverbuds made a winter scene in a jar. We talked about program updates like Exec/Federation, STEM workshop, Food Revue, Share the fun and performing arts workshop, broomstick making workshop, and the midnight snowshoeing. For new business, we discussed the animal ID deadlines and the llama project. We briefly talked about the BLU and TEEL. We also talked about the spring break day camps and family bingo. Kara motioned that we adjourn the meeting and Trin seconded that motion.

Lucky Aces Reporter,

Linnea Topper

At our monthly February meeting made gift bags for Birch Wood Senior Living Center! The baggies included gum, lot , playing cards and other fun goodies. (Picture above)

Respectfully submitted by,

Karley Rydeen club reporter

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. New Family Survey.

For the most comprehensive list of county, regional and state events and activities along with these 4-H resources.

• 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

Washington County Website

Set up a family account through 4honline! Enrollment deadline is May 15

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.