February
Family Newsletter - February 24, 2022
Remember you must re-enroll yearly!
Ambassador Meeting on Monday!
A reminder that our next Ambassador meeting will be on Monday, February 28th at 6 PM on the lower level of the Government Center. If you are in 7th grade or above, this is a great opportunity to expand your leadership skills on the county level! The night will include games, planning upcoming workshops, service learning, and a fun event just for Ambassador-aged youth.
Reach out to Megan at slate187@umn.edu with any questions.
March upcoming events, activities & deadlines
Llama Project Meetings
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.
Spring Break Day Camps
Limited spots available, registration remains open!
Join us for spring break road trip themed day camps this March 8th - 11th. We start on the farm to work with products produced on the farm followed by a trip to the big city exploring projects like performing arts and crafts and then up north to explore things related to STEM. We are still taking campers!
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.
Finish off the week with a trip to the beach and family bingo night with pizza and prizes! Friday evening 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. is for the whole family! Bring along a friend/family interested in joining 4-H.
Apply to be a County Arts-In Student Director!
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!
Great for new families!
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.
Shooting Sports DNR Training
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
Looking forward to April
Be sure to save this date as we continue to gather final details about classes available. Registration information will be in the next Family Newsletter. You won't want to miss it!
Dog Project Updates
Dog Training is right around the corner! 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.
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.
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 to be a teen teacher here.
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 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 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.
- 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)
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
- 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
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.
- July 10 - County Arts-In Auditions
- July 17-20 - County Arts-In Encampment
STEM - Upcoming Workshops
- 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)
- July 30-31 - County 4-H Dog Show
- Aug. 3-7 - Washington County Fair
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
University of MN Center for Family Development FREE webinars
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:
- February 3 & 17 & March 3 - Book Read - Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive
- March 10 - Estrategias para crear una vivienda más saludable (Strategies for Creating a Healthier Home)
- March 22 - Making Your Home Healthier
- April 6 - RentWise 101
- April 14 - Consejos para rentar una vivienda (Tips for renting a home)
- February 16 - Tapping into your nervous system to support recovery
- 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
- February 22 - Exploring mental flourishing for ourselves and our communities
- March 23 - Ambiguous Loss in Rural Communities Training 101
- April 20 - Creating Balance in the Chaos
March 1 - 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
February 24 - Reducing Food Waste
March 3 - Edibles and Decoratives from the Woods or Backyard
April 7 - Food Composting 101
April 21 - Reducing your Family’s Carbon Footprint
Stand Alone Webinars
· March 2 - Current Session legislation aimed at transgender youth
· 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
Job Opportunities for Youth & Adults
Food Revue Champions!
The Annual Food Review event was held on Saturday, Feb 5 along with the Valentines Food Workshop! It is always fun to see delicious recipes and such creative table settings each year.
The Foods Workshop had a Valentine's Day theme. Participants learned how to make homemade pizza from scratch along with a multitude of delectable desserts! Special thanks to Kim Bjerke and Virginia Stoffel for leading these workshops!
Congratulations to the following 4-H’ers!
Sr. Grand Champion - Calissa Newton
Sr. Reserve Grand Champion - Alaina Newton
Sr. Honor Mention - Theo Kruse
Jr. Grand Champion - Madeline Hoekstra
Jr. Reserve Grand Champion - Aubrey Delaney
State Fair Trips were awarded to Seniors;
Calissa Newton, Alaina Newton, Theo Kruse, Olivia Majeski, Tyler Egler
Where are the club reports??
We know clubs are meeting and doing fun things, please share with others in the county by letting us know what your club is doing. This is the responsibility of the Club Reporter which is part of your club officer team.
Email Kathy at eber0002@umn.edu a paragraph of what your club did this month. If you happen to have a photo, include that as well. Thank you!
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