February Newsletter

Hello Ford County 4-H!
Ford County Club Days is right around the corner! Even if you can’t compete at Club Day, consider coming to watch your fellow 4-H members and give them your support. There will also be one out of the three Consumer Science Judging contests to qualify for the team competing at the State Consumer Science Judging Contest at the State Fair in September. The other two contests will be held at Regional Club Days on March 2^nd and at the Ford County Fair.

On Sunday, February 17^th at 3:00pm, the Ford County Fair Association will be holding a public meeting to discuss the schedule of the 2013 Ford County Fair. The main concern is to either leave it as a 4 day fair, OR go back to a 5 day fair. I encourage EVERYONE (youth and adults) to attend and express your opinion. The Open Meeting will be held at the Fair Building. A moderator will be guiding the discussion. Please call us at the Extension Office or Fair Association member if you have any questions.

With Valentine’s Day this month, it is time to ‘pledge our hearts to greater loyalty.” The second H is a reminder of the sense of belonging that we all experience as a member of 4-H. It is about building caring relationships between youth and adults, and creating safe environments for us to learn and grow!

In 4-H Spirit, 




  

Molly Trausch
Ford County 4-H Youth Development Agent



4-H AMBASSADOR/EXCHANGE MEETING
The next Ambassador/Exchange meeting will be Monday, February 25^th at 7:00pm at the Fair Building. We will be signing up for Flea Market items and work schedules. Be sure to attend! Also, bring ideas for the Exchange with Massachusetts this summer! If you signed up to serve at the Conservation District Meal on February 9^th, please arrive by 6:00pm at the Fair Building.
  
Butter Braids!
The 4-H Exchange Group is selling Butter Braids (a tasty, filled pastry) for their summer exchange with Massachusetts. Contact the Extension Office or an Exchange Member if you’d like to order any! Orders are due March 1^st and will be delivered before Easter!

Flea Market
The Exchange Trip group will be hosting a spring Flea Market on Saturday, March 23 from 9:00am – 1:00pm at the fair building. Proceeds to benefit the 4-H Exchange Trip program. If you are interested in having a table at the Flea Market, call the office for more info or to reserve a spot.

4-H Council & Community Club Leaders Meeting
Community Club Leaders will meet at 6:30pm and 4-H Council will meet at 7:00pm at the fair building on Monday, March 25^th.

Agent Visit @ Club Meetings
Throughout the months of February and March, Molly will be making a visit to your 4-H Club Meeting! Be sure to attend and meet your 4-H Agent! The VIP Orientation will also be offered at your meeting if you haven’t taken it or would like to! Molly will be at the following meetings:

Lucky Clovers - Monday, March 18^th 
DIY Jrs. - Monday, March 11^th
Prairie Schooners - Sunday, March 10^th 
Richland Boosters - Sunday, February 10^th
Valley Boosters - Monday, March 4^th 
Wilroads Gardens - Sunday, February 10^th 
Wright Wonder Workers - Sunday, March 10^th
 
:: 4-H Club Days ::

Ford County 4-H Club Day will be held on Saturday, February 2 beginning at 8:00 am at the Dodge City Middle School.  The completeschedule was emailed and posted on the blog. Please visit our website for guidelines.  Good luck to all participants!

Regional Club Days will be held on Saturday, March 2^nd at 8:00 am at the Dodge City Middle School.  If you receive a top blue (purple ribbon) at the Ford County Club Day, you are eligible to compete at the regional event.  If you are selected to compete at regionals and are unable to participate, please let us know by Friday, Feb. 22 so we may contact alternate top blue recipients.

Consumer Lifeskills Judging Contest
Our first contest of the year will be held during County Club Days on Saturday, February 2 beginning at 8:00 am at the Dodge City Middle School.  Participation in these contests determines who will compete on Ford County’s Consumer Science Judging Teams at the state fair.  Another contest will be held during the Regional Club Day event on Saturday, March 2.  We hope you consider participating in these fun contests!

Project Information/Show Book
Every year we receive information on project activities from other counties across the state who are holding photography workshops, geology workshops, livestock shows, judging contests, skill-a-thons, sales, etc.  All of this information is organized in a very large notebook.  Stop by the office and check it out!

Ford County Fair Book Cover Contest
It that time of year!  We are looking for entries for the County Fair Book Cover Contest!  Entries must be drawn in dark pencil, black marker, and/or black pen or designed on the computer.

Entries must be on a half sheet of paper (4 ¼ width x 11 inch length).  Allow at least a ¼ inch margin on all sides.  You must include the following in the design: Ford County Fair” and leave a spot to add dates in later.  This year there is a theme you may use.  It is   “Barn to be Wild.”

Prizes will be awarded by the Ford County Fair Association: 1^st place-$25; 2^nd place-$15; 3^rd place-$10. Entries are due by FRIDAY, MARCH 29th to the Extension Office.

Livestock Quality Counts
A priority of the 4-H livestock projects is to teach members the proper animal husbandry methods and ethical practices when raising and showing livestock. QUALITY COUNTS TRAINING IS MANDATORY FOR ALL COUNTY 4-H’ERS WHO WILL BE SELLING A MARKET ANIMAL AT THE COUNTY FAIR LIVESTOCK SALE. 

Andrea has will have three trainings scheduled for your convenience.  The first one is set for Thursday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m. at the Extension Office. Please call the Extension Office to RSVP one day prior to the training date.  The other sessions will be scheduled on a weeknight and weekend.
County Fair Superintendents
The Ford County Fair needs YOU!  It will take several volunteers to make sure the 2013 Ford County Fair is a success. Please consider signing up to help by being a superintendent.  All adult leader/parents and junior leaders (ages 12 and older) are encouraged to volunteer and sign up during your next club meeting! (If you are in a livestock project, please do not sign up as a superintendent of that species.) 

Ford County 4-H Foundation Scholarships
The Ford County 4-H foundation will be offering several scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year.   Information and applications will be sent out to graduating seniors and past 4-H’ers soon.  Information will also be posted on our website. Applications will be DUE April 1^st.

4-H Club Reporter/Secretary
The Dodge City Daily Globe and your local newspapers want your help! Every week, they feature ‘Club Notes’ from local clubs and organizations. This is our chance to educate the Ford County Community on what’s happening in our local 4-H Clubs! Submit a short 100 word article on what your club did at your meeting! This small task will help grow our 4-H Program!

Animal Sciences Leadership Academy
KSU will host the fifth annual K-State Animal Sciences Leadership Academy June 5-8 for young livestock industry leaders in Kansas. The program, hosted by the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, focuses on increasing participants' knowledge of the Kansas livestock industry, as well as enhancing leadership skills.

Twenty high school students will be selected to participate, based on educational, community, and agricultural involvement. Students will stay in campus housing and receive training in Weber Hall as well as tour the university's animal science facilities and Kansas livestock businesses. Students must apply by Friday, March 15. Candidates have to be enrolled in high school as of January 1 and able to participate in the entire academy.

FoodsJudges Training
Wednesday, March 13^th, Dodge City. Please contact Christine McPheter at 620-873-8790 with questions or to register.

Shooting Sports Instructor Training
March 15-17 at Rock Springs. Contact Extension Office for more info.
 
Clothing Project Meeting
County Wide Clothing Project Leader, Naomi Harrold has planned a meeting for Saturday, February 23, 10:30am – 11:15am, at her house, 2411 5th Ave., Dodge City. This will be a workshop on how to HEM JEANS and maintain the original decorative stitching! If you have a pair of jeans you’d like to hem that day, feel free to bring them! Otherwise, bring yourself and get ready to learn a valuable, money saving skill! Open to all 4-H’ers in the Clothing and Buymanship Projects. Youth will also be looking at possible Mother’s Day projects 4-H’ers can make for their moms and also show at the fair! This is a workshop you do not want to miss!  

Horse Project – Meade County
The Meade County 4-H Horse Project is hosting Sunday Fundays on March 24^th and April 7^th at 2:00pm each day. Youth will compete and learn about various horse events. The cost is $10 each day. A flyer with complete details will be available on our website. 

Beef Project Update
As we enter these late winter months, there are two problems you should be watching your cattle for:

1. Lice: with lice, you need to give an injectable dewormer (such as Dectomax or Ivomec) to get rid of the lice. Lice live under the hair on the skin and will kill patches of hair that take three months or more to grow back
2. Ringworm

 THANKS! Neal, Chance & Braden Draper

Discovery Days May 28^th-31^st

·         Floor Counselors

For the 2013 Discovery Days we are looking for responsible, mature and dependable young adults to serve as floor counselors.  These floor counselors will be responsible for leading floor meetings, doing room checks and making sure youth stay in their rooms after lights out each evening.  Floor Counselors can expect to work evenings and early mornings. They will receive free room and board for 5 days and 4 nights along with $100 for their work. Applications are available on the Kansas4-H Website.

·         Class Teachers

Do you have a hobby or skill you’d like to share? Teach a class at the 2013 Discovery Days! Classesmust be signed up for by February 15, 2013. Teaching opportunities are open to both youth and adults! Contact Sarah Keatley at keatley @ ksu.edu for more information.

Save the Dates

Watch the April Issue of the Newsletter for more information about the camps.

• 4 Clover Camp - June 5-7
• Ceramics Camp - June 10 (in morning)
• Gunsmoke Day Camp - June 11
• Heart of Kansas - June 17-20

Camp Counselors

We are looking for responsible youth who would like to serve as a camp counselor for any of our summer camps. Youth must be 14 years and older and VIP certified. Applications will be available soon and will be due May 1^st.

4-H RoboTech Camp

NEW!!! Join 4-H’ers across Kansas March 18-22 at Rock Springs for the 4-H RoboTech Camp! Camp participants will learn how to program robots to complete in challenge courses, how to operate GPS units to find hidden waypoints, record data in GPS units and import it into GIS to create custom and utilizable satellite maps, and so much more! Check out theKansas 4-H Website under events registration for more information.

THANK YOU!!!!

Holly Martin who helped judge KAPS at the regional screening in Cimarron.

To all of our 4-H’ers who competed at the Area KAP Screening! Ford County had the largest turnout!

Todd Durler, Grace Fulton, Campbell Martin, Shelby Robertson, Tamara Robertson and Holly Trent for attending the Southwest Youth Leadership Forum!

Program Development Committee (PDC) Members who have helped the Extension Office with our Prioritization Survey! Contact the Extension Office if you’d like to participate in a survey on the future of K-State Research and Extension. 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

We have FOUR Ford County 4-H’ers who’s KAPS were selected to advance onto the State Level! Dakota Derstein- Entomology and Visual Arts; Braden Draper- Beef; Campbell Martin- Swine; and Camryn Williamson- Home Environment and Performing Arts.

 
HPLC
The High Plains Livestock Classic Committee will be having a meeting on February 13^th at 6:30pm in Hennessey Hall.

2013 District Horse Show
Save the date for June 25, 2013 @ the Finney County Fairgrounds, Garden City.

4-H Newsletter Information
If you have information about a county-wide project meeting or special event your club is hosting that you would like in the newsletter, please email Molly at mtrausch@ksu.edu  by the 20th of each month so we can include it in the next newsletter.

EXTENSION OFFICE CLOSED
The Extension Office will be closed Monday, February 18^th in observation of Presidents’ Day.