Some Reminders and Updates ...

What a BEAUTIFUL spring day! Hope you get a chance to get outside and enjoy the warm spring sunshine! The April 4-H Clover Update (newsletter) will be posted online by April 1st, and while I'm working on getting information together for that, there are a few updates/reminders I would like to pass along:

• Share the Fun and Performing Arts registrations are due April 1st. Forms are available on the Extension Website.
• The tentative 2010 4-H County Fair Schedule has been posted online. Be watching for details on a very exciting "Shell Out or Show" contest! The "Dress Your Livestock" Event is tentatively scheduled for Sunday (July 18) during the County Fair at 12:30 pm, followed by the "Shell Out or Show" contest.
• Waseca County 4-H Week events and activities will be posted online by the end of the week. Watch for the details - the week promises to be filled with fun! One activity that is new this year is a Medallion Hunt - there will be medallions hid in each of the county's communities (Waldorf, Waseca, Janesville, and New Richland). The clues will be posted on the blog and Facebook page during Waseca County 4-H Week. The winner of each medallion hunt will recieve a cash award and gift certificate to the 4-H Food Stand.
• 4-H Camp planning is in full swing!! The theme this year is "Camp Cool" - some things we have planned for youth camp include "All Camp Battleship", cabin challenges, and a possible broomball tourney (that's right - broomball in the summer!) Don't forget to register by May 21st! Youth camp registrations can be sent to the Mankato Regional Center and the teen camp registrations can be sent to the Hutchinson Regional Center.
• Hopefully everyone is looking for donations for the Garage Sale on May 15th! The committee is very excited about this fundraiser!! Families will be asked to sell 10 breakfast tickets - they will be mailed the beginning of April.
• Registration for Summer Adventures is now available online or from the Extension Office. Day Camp Counselor Applications are also available from both spots for youth who've completed 7th grade.

Don't forget to get outside and get some fresh air!!! Enjoy the warmth and spring sunshine!

Day Camp Dates and Themes Announced!

Day Camps in Waseca County 4-H will be held at the following dates and times this summer:

• Tuesday, June 15th – “Walk on the Wild Side” 1 pm to 4:30 pm – 4-H Building
• Tuesday, June 22nd – “Recycling Rendezvous” 1 pm to 4:30 pm – 4-H Building
• Tuesday, June 29th – “Slippery Slimy Sensational Science” 1 pm to 4:30 pm – 4-H Building
• Tuesday, August 3rd – “Beat the Heat” 8 am to 11 am – New Richland City Park
• Tuesday, August 3rd – “Beat the Heat” 1 pm to 4:30 pm – Janesville City Park
• Tuesday, August 10th – “Beat the Heat” 8 am to 11 am – 4-H Building

Registration information will be coming soon! Stay tuned to the blog and Facebook page for notification when the brochure is available.

How long is the Long Sit in the novice dog obedience classes?

This is just one of the many questions that the 4-H dog project project bowl team studied on their way to a 1st place finish at the Regional Project Bowl competition in Hastings on Saturday, March 13th. Team members Sara Henkensiefken, Collin Diedrich, Shae Neuschwander, Sam Snyder, Ritchie Diedrich, and Lauren Summers have been getting together for a few hours every week since Janaury to study dog-related information from a long list of resources. The study sessions help ensure they are fully prepared for the Regional Competition where they are up against other teams to see who can buzz in first to answer the question correctly. The team is coached by Martha Diedrich and Kris Fischer.

Its an intense competition, and the team members take it very seriously. However, they have a lot of fun learning the information, which they use in other aspects of the dog project. The information helps them with livestock interviews, dog training classes, and in the show ring while showing their dogs. Some 4-H graduates who were on the dog quiz bowl team end up going in to dog-related careers, where the information they learned in quiz bowl is especially helpful.

Quiz Bowl questions range from what breeds of dog belong in which groups to common diseases found in dogs and how they can be treated. Team members often end up having a well-rounded knowledge base about dogs, including health, reproduction, requirements for classes, breeds, and anatomy.

Up next for the team is the State Project Bowl competition on April 17th. The State Competition is familiar territory for the Waseca County 4-H Dog Project Team - the junior team has won 1st place four years (2009, 2008, 2007, 2005) and 2nd three years (2006, 2004, 2003). While the members of the team change from year to year, their success every year can only mean one thing ... they put many hours of studying and hard work into this! Good luck to the Dog Project Bowl team members competeting at State on April 17th.

Also, good luck to both the junior and senior Horse Project Bowl teams who will be competiting in their Regional Project Bowl competition on March 20th in Redwood Falls. These two teams have been practicing and studying since January as well, and we know their hard work will lead to success also! Be sure to check the blog next week for results from their competition.

(Oh, and the answer to the question, "How long is the Long Sit in the novice dog obedience classes?" is one minute.)

Summer Already?!?!?

It seems weird to be thinking about summer already. After all, the snow isn't even melted yet, and its not too late to get snow in March or April!! But summer programming plans are underway for 4-H Staff. We're working on getting an exciting course in Lego Robotics set up with Community Education in Waseca for this summer. Day camp plans are underway and of course, we're getting deeper into county fair plans. Most of our judges have been confirmed (yay!), so now we're working on the premium book and securing donors for champion awards.

Speaking of premium books and rules (everyone's favorite, right?!?!?!), it won't be long before livestock project members will open thier mailbox to find an information packet about properly identifying livestock for the 2010 year. We hope to have these packets out to you by the beginning of April, but you will have them by mid-April for sure! There are some species that have special dates they need to be aware of for identifying livestock, so be sure to get the following dates on your calendar:

• April 28 - 3 to 7 pm (Extension Office) - Ear Tag pick-up for breeding beef, swine, and dairy animals and goats needing ear tags**
• April 29 - 3 to 7 pm (Extension Office) - Ear Tag pick-up for breeding beef, swine, and dairy animals and goats needing ear tags**
• May 8 - 9 to 11 am (Fairgrounds) - Sheep and Goat Weigh-In
• May 11 - 6:30 pm (Extension Office) - Rabbit ID Night (tattoing will be done if your rabbit needs a tattoo)

** Your livestock ID packets will have more information about if your animal requires a state 4-H ear tag

We had a fun weekend Adventure on Saturday, March 13 - participants learned about other cultures through sampling food, making crafts, and playing games. The most important thing we learned though was to accept others who are different from us!

Share the Fun and Waseca County 4-H Week are just around the corner! Hopefully your club had a chance to talk about what they would like to help with during Waseca County 4-H Week. The information on different events and activities that we're having will be coming out soon! (Note to club leaders - Your club's "Waseca County 4-H Week Responsibility Sheet" is due to the Extension Office today!)

April 30 is fast approaching - that is the last day for members to add and/or drop projects from their enrollments. There are a few ways you can do this -

1. Club leaders have a listing of your projects - they will have at your March and April meetings, so you can let them know of any changes.
2. You can log on to www.4h4me.com and make your changes online. Be sure you hit the "SAVE CHANGES" button after each step!!! You received a letter with your user name and password this winter. If you need to be reminded of that information, email Amy at the Extension Office.
3. You can call Cheryl at the Extension Office and let her know what you would like to add or drop. (507-835-0600)

Those of you with a Facebook account - don't forget to become a fan of Waseca County 4-H on Facebook! Lots of short updates and reminders are available via our Facebook page. We've heard great things about the blog and Facebook page both, so keep checking both to stay in touch!