July
Family Newsletter - July 15, 2021
Remember you must be enrolled in 4-H to participate! There are links at the end of this newsletter with more information about enrollment. If you have any problems with registrations or printing forms or need more information on enrollment please contact our office at 430-6800 or email mnext-washington@umn.edu While the 4-H year is a year-round organization, we do taper programming after the county fair and through September as preparations for state events take place during this time. October 1 the new 4-H year begins and enrollment will start again!
Volunteers needed @ the fair!
Judges Assistants Needed
Become part of the Green Team!
The 4-H Food Stand at the Washington County Fair is the biggest fundraiser we have during the year and we need volunteers to pull it off. Your gift of time will help us to have a profitable run of the fair.
The food stand committee asks that you sign up for a shift that will work for you and your family. We are looking to have families sign up together versus having clubs work.
Food Stand Donations
Sign up to work the Ambassador Booth at the County Fair!
Calling all County Ambassadors! We need your help promoting 4-H at the Fair and welcoming guests into the 4-H Building. Tell the public about your 4-H experience and share promotional materials to get them started. During your down time at the booth, you can get your County Ambassador application filled out for the 2021-2022 year! Please sign up for at least one shift, but multiple shifts are welcome. Reach out to Megan Slater with any questions at slate187@umn.edu.
Seeking 4-H Alumni and their projects!
Please help us spread the word - We would love to showcase some of our Alumni's 4-H projects over the years, the older the better! No worries, we just want to borrow it, not keep it. We plan to then highlight these projects in the 4-H building. Kind of a "memory lane" of sorts among the current 4-H projects.
Please contact Kathy at eber0002@umn.edu if you have a project your willing to share with us. We would like you to include a brief story with the project for example Jane Doe, Gopher Diggers 4-H Club, Champion Clothing 1975 or maybe another interesting fact. Thank you!
Youth Opportunities
Saturday STEM fun!
Washington County 4-H and Washington County Libraries have teamed up to deliver Saturday STEM fun! Our July activity is a popsicle stick challenge. Join Kassidy, Washington County 4-H Teen Teacher, as she leads you through three engineering challenges using simple materials (popsicle sticks, binder clips, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon). Once you've created your structures, be sure to share a picture at @WashingtonCounty4HMinnesota & @WashCoLib. Kassidy's video can be found at: z.umn.edu/PopsicleStickChallenge
Pick up a kit today at the following library locations in Washington County - Park Grove, Stafford, Hardwood, Oakdale, and Wildwood.
Animal Science News
Horse Schooling Show!
Horse Project members are invited to attend the 2021 Horse Schooling Show on Thursday, July 22 beginning at 6 pm at the Washington County Fairgrounds!.
Classes will be Showmanship, English Equitation, Western Horsemanship, Poles, Jumping Figure 8 and Barrels. Placing will be 1st through 6th. Age groups are Junior grades 7 and under and Senior grades 8 and up. High point trophies for each division. Just show up, no pre-registration is required. $5.00 sign-up fee.
County Fair 4-H Horse Show
County Fair Market Livestock Auction
We are in need of an adult willing to coordinate the social after the Auction on Saturday, August 7 at 5:30 pm in the Judging Arena. Typically we have had ham sandwiches, cookies and lemonade for our buyers. It is a small token of appreciation for our buyers. You will be reimbursed for your costs. Please contact Ann if you can help at; churc109@umn.edu
Livestock Quality Assurance & Ethics Training (Please read-mandatory training!)
LQA&E Training Requirements:
All youth participating as a State Fair 4-H livestock exhibitor in beef, dairy, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, meat goat, dairy goat, and llama must have completed livestock quality assurance training. Certification is good for 3 fair seasons. If you are due to be certified, there are two training options available;
Option 1 - LQA&E face to face Training
Participate in a face-to-face 3-hour Livestock Quality Assurance and Ethics (LQA&E) training offered in various locations around the state. This certification is valid for three fair seasons. 4-Hers completing grades 3-5 complete Level 1. 4-Hers completing grades 9-13 typically certify in Level 2. 4-Hers completing grades 6-8 may be certified in either Level I or Level II. The determination of which Level to certify at for grades 6-8 should be based on the livestock project experience the 4-Her possesses.
If you were not available to attend the training offered by our county (June 18), you can attend another county's training. It will be your responsibility to send our office a copy of your completed certificate prior to the Washington County Fair. For additional face to face training dates and locations around the state, visit the state website page at; https://extension.umn.edu/4-h-events/4-h-livestock-quality-assurance-training-lqa
Option 2 - YQCA on-line Training
4-H members have the option of completing the 1-hour online offered via distance learning. This certification is valid for one fair season. The cost of this training is $12/child and is paid at the time of online registration with a credit card. Since training is good for one fair season, it will need to be completed annually. This is a nationally offered program and a registration fee is utilized to upkeep the system and update the training modules. To learn more about the online option, go to; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1baiyUOgWMIC2QKvdT3I7auCB5fCJjmD0/view
Training promotes responsible care of animals, making informed decisions in animal care, and providing safe consumer food products. Youth will receive a certificate of completion. Additional information concerning any Livestock Quality Assurance training in our county will be listed in upcoming 4-H newsletters.
If a 4-H member took the online training in 2020, it will be good for the 2021 fair season as well since there was not an in-person state fair last year.
Calling all Rabbit Project Exhibitors!
Rabbit project members who would like more information on how to prepare for the county fair should attend a County Fair Rabbit Workshop on Sunday, July 25, beginning at 3:00 pm at the Rabbit Barn. Items that will be discussed are; what supplies will be provided for the rabbits, what you need to bring to the county fair for your rabbit, when to bring and take home your rabbit, how the check-in process works, what is the judge looking for when judging a class of rabbits, how does showmanship work, and info on state fair trips, etc. You won’t want to miss this helpful workshop! Tattoo and nail trimming demonstration too!
Rabbit Agility Workshop
Would you like to teach your rabbit how to run an agility course? Rabbit Agility is a fun event that will be held during the Washington County Fair, but in the meantime there is a little training to do. 4-H rabbit project members who would like to learn rabbit agility are invited to come to the Washington County Fairgrounds for practices on; Sunday’s July 18, 25 and August 1 from 3-4:00 pm outside the rabbit barn. Please bring a harness and a non flex leash (standard leash). Any questions, please contact Kara at; topperrk@aol.com
4-H Graduates
4-H Graduates
We are looking forward to acknowledging you at the County Fair!
There are a few tasks we need from you IF you choose to be recognized:
-We would appreciate having a poster board of you displaying pics of your 4-H memories/experiences. These posters will be displayed in the 4-H building during the county fair. (See pic attached of previous posters.) Please bring your poster with you to General Judging Day on Saturday, July 31 between 10-4.
-Most of you have already completed and returned your ‘grad application’ to be recognized Sunday night at our Awards night at the fair. Thank you!
-Livestock & Horse Exhibitors are encouraged to fill out the attached ‘Livestock Graduation Questionere’ that will be read during your specific specie livestock/horse show.
The completed Livestock Questionnaire needs to be emailed back to Ann at; churc109@umn.edu no later than Monday, July 26th. Please do not wait until the last minute.
Horse
- 4-H only schooling show - July 22, 2021 - Washington County Fairgrounds @ 6:00 pm
- County 4-H Horse Show - Aug. 4, 2021 - Washington County Fairgrounds
Performing Arts
- Arts-In Encampment - July 18-21, 2021 - Washington County Fairgrounds
Washington County Fair & County Show Dates
- NEW - 4-H General Project Entry Day - Sat. July 31 - (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
- County 4-H Dog Show - Sat. July 31 & Sun. Aug. 1
- Washington County Fair - Aug. 4 - Aug. 8, 2021
Washington County represented in Princess Kay finalists
Club Reports Needed
Family Newsletter will suspend the month of August
New Member Information
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
Please pay your membership fee
Thank you for enrolling in Washington County 4-H, now let's get you active!
Some of you enrolled a long time ago while others may be just today. Either way, your current status says "awaiting approval". The reason it says that is because Washington County has a yearly enrollment fee of $25.00 per member (including Cloverbuds) or $100 max per family for 4 or more children. We ask that you please send payment to our office address listed below or make an appointment.
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 at the end of this newsletter. If you are looking for additional information or are no longer interested in 4-H, please let us know so we can take you off our email list.
Washington County 4-H
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
Kathy Erf
Principal Office & Administrative Specialist
(651) 430-6800
eber0002@umn.edu
Email: mnext-washington@umn.edu
Website: https://extension.umn.edu/local/washington
Location: 14949 62nd Street North, Stillwater, MN, USA
Phone: 651-430-6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonCounty4HMinnesota/?eid=ARD3CbY40ZXk23UD59FlaMaXZPKXCGDBzsQS7-RO0gKl7wFyNEUm8dWZoBgNFIOlA6YV2fuq5GLnRX-s