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1 4-H ECHO The source of 4-H news in Grant County 4-H GROWS LEADERS What s Inside Calendars Her of the Month... 3 Congratulations & Thank You... 4 Club News... 7 Projects & Activities... 8 Jr. Leaders Grant County Fair Announcements March 2018 Contact Us: Grant County UW-Extension Office 916 E. Elm Street, Suite A Lancaster, WI Fax Hearing Impaired Relay: Find Grant County 4-H on Facebook! Charisse Orth Interim 4-H Youth Development Educator charisse.orth@ces.uwex.edu April 1 - Deadline To add or change 4-H projects in order to show at the Grant County Fair go to wi.4honline.com or call the UW-Extension Office. 4-H grows confident, capable, and caring kids with the life skills to thrive in today's world and succeed in their boldest dreams for tomorrow.

2 March H Livestock Quiz Bowl & Skillathon Contest; 9:00 am; UW-Madison Animal Science Building 5 VIP New Leader Certification; 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 9 DEADLINE 4-H Leaders Executive Board Mini Grant 11 4-H Shooting Sports Practice; 1:00 pm; Tri-County Archery, Rewey 13 Jr. Leader Operation Easter Bunny Collection; 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 13 4-H Countywide Leader s Meeting; 7:00 pm; South Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 15 DEADLINE ECHO articles 16 Jr. Leaders Ice Skating; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Mystique Ice Center, Dubuque 20 Executive Board Meeting; 6:30 pm; Conference Room; UW-Extension Office, Lancaster 21 Cat Informational Meeting; 7:00 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 22 VIP New Leader Certification; 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 23 DEADLINE State Fair Dairy Promotion Board Scholarship 23 DEADLINE WI 4-H & Youth Conference 26 Jr. Leaders Meeting; 6:30 pm; Conference Room; UW-Extension Office, Lancaster 26 Out of State Meeting; 7:30 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 30 Good Friday UW-Extension Office closed in the afternoon April Happy Easter 2 Swine Barn Fundraising Pork Supper; 4:30 pm - 8:00 pm, Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 6 DEADLINE Communication Arts Day Registration 7 Minecraft Day; 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 8 4-H Shooting Sports Practice; 1:00 pm; Tri-County Archery, Rewey 8 Robotics Meeting; 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; South Room, Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 10 Rabbit & Poultry Skillathon; 7:00 pm; South Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 15 DEADLINE ECHO articles 17 Executive Board Meeting; 6:30 pm; Conference Room; UW-Extension Office, Lancaster 17 4-H Dog Information Meeting; 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm; South Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 18 Cat Meeting & Speaker; 7:00 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 21 4-H Foods Open House; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm; South Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 21 Cloverbud & Exploring Workshop; 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 23 Jr. Leaders Meeting; 6:30 pm; Conference Room; UW-Extension Office, Lancaster 23 Out of State Meeting; 7:30 pm; North Room; Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster 21 or 28 Dairy Judging Contest & Educational Seminar (TBD) 29 Communication Arts Day; 2:00 pm, Youth & Ag Center, Lancaster Countywide Leaders Meeting on March 13, 7:00 pm, Youth & Ag Center All youth and adult volunteers should plan to come to the Countywide Leaders Meeting on March 13. Some of the items on the agenda include: Camp, Explore 4-H Day and upcoming 4-H events and updates. 2

3 4-Her of the Month Tia Coates Welbes Blockhouse Builders 4-H Club For the past two years the goat project has been my favorite 4-H project because I have had a lot of fun and learned so much through working with the goats. I love to see the results of my hard work in the show ring with the goats. They go from kicking and screaming at the top of their lungs to being as well mannered as a goat can be in the show ring. This year at the 2017 Grant County Fair my greatest accomplishments were winning intermediate goat showmanship, grand champion dairy doe, and reserve champion dairy doe. I have worked very hard to improve my showmanship skills. I was very happy to see my hours of practice helped me in the show ring. My favorite part about 4-H is the long lasting friendships from my club, different projects, hanging out at the fair, and the various competitions through projects. We all have one thing in common and that is our hard work ethic in whatever project we may be entering. I originally joined 4-H to have fun showing horses at the Grant County Fair. I ended up having many more memorable experiences than I ever expected. Throughout my four years in 4-H I have been in the sewing project, horse project, goat project, and speaking contest. I have been competitive ski racing since I was six years old which has taken me to places for training such as Minnesota, Michigan, California, Colorado, and Oregon. Last year I placed 38th at WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) State High School Ski and Snowboard Championships and placed 2nd with my team, Madison Area Co-op. When there isn t snow, my favorite sport is Eventing where I compete in a three phase equestrian competition of dressage, cross country jumping, and show jumping. 4-H has helped me excel in many aspects of my life by teaching me the power of hard work and dedication. 3

4 Congratulations! 4-H Robotics Team Advanced to State Competition Comprised of 5 team members, the team has been working on the Hydrodynamics Challenge since August Congratulations to the Grant County 4-H Robotics Team - Technomancerz on their achievements! (left to right) Alexis Brandemuehl, Miah Runde, Isaac Wheeler-Bonillia, Noah Gratz, Dallas Day 2018 State 4-H Meats Judging Contest: Top Senior and Junior Divisions The Grant County team took top honors in the senior division of the State 4-H Meats Judging Contest held Feb 17 at University of Wisconsin Madison Meat Laboratory. Team members were: Cora Kleist, Blake Wegmuller, Abby Meier and Kendra Jentz. The team was coached by Dennis Patterson. These 4-H members will represent Wisconsin at either the National 4-H Meats Judging Contest to be held this fall in Kansas City, MO or the National Western held in January 2019 in Denver, CO. More results and photos are available at: Sr. Team 1st place: L to R: Kendra Jentz, Blake Wegmuller, Cora Kleist, Abby Meier The Jr. Team also took 1 st place in their division of the State Meat s competition. Jr. Team 1st place: Front Row: L to R: Libby Vogt, Jessica Patterson, Avery Crooks, Alayna Barth Back Row: L or R: Bailey Grissom, Leah Patterson, Luke Patterson, Cameron Patterson 4

5 Thank You! THANK YOU to all the 4-H Clubs that helped make 4-H Family Project Day a HUGE success! Your participation, time, materials, and expertise were GREATLY appreciated. Thank you to all the leaders, volunteers, and parents that helped as well. 253 youth participated in this event. The following organizations also contributed to the day: Grant County 4-H Clothing Committee Grant County 4-H Robotics Team Grant County Cattlemens Association Grant County Dairy Promoters Master Gardeners Association Sigma Alpha Sorority from UW-Platteville Stitzer Fire Dept/member Kenny Richter Roundtable of Grant County/Youth Development Grant Wings Over Wisconsin Sponsors who have continually supported this event: Community First Bank Deweys Tire Repair Foremost Farms USA Grant County Dairy Promoters Grant County Pork Producers Kwik Trip Premier Cooperative Queen B Radio Renyolds Electric Scott Implement Wapsie Valley This day is truly remarkable because of the above support. What a wonderful reflection of the community coming together and learning by doing. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations for 4-H Family Project Day, please feel free to contact a committee member. Again, many, many thanks, 4-H Family Project Day Committee members: Cindy Arndt, Dyan McLaughlin, Kelly Muench, Scott Napp, Peggy Riemenapp, Laurie Schuler 5

6 If you made a project at the H Family Project Day and are interested in entering it in a local fair, you need to be signed up in the corresponding project through 4-H. Here is a list of departments the projects would fall under. Members must be enrolled in the project before April 1 in order to exhibit at the fairs. If you are a Cloverbud or Exploring member you would enter your project in the Cloverbud or Exploring category in the fair book. If you are not in the project, please call the UW-Extension Office at or make changes via 4hOnline by April 1. Project Department Class Soda Bottle Garden 14 Plant & Soil Science 15 Flower & House Plants 5 Vegetable Plate 2, 3 Flowers or Houseplants Slime 29 Family and Child Development 1, 2, 3 Tie Pillow Case 28 Home Environment 1, 2, 3, 4 Bunny in Flower Pot Marshmallow Catapult Sewing A Table Runner Build a Birdhouse Make a Kaleidoscope Cookie Decorating Vase with Flowers 18 Cultural Arts 28 Home Environment 29 Family and Child Development 18 Cultural Arts 28 Home Environment 16 Natural Sciences 22 Woodworking 29 Family and Child Development 18 Cultural Arts 25 Foods and Nutrition (Foods Revue) 18 Cultural Arts 28 Home Environment 4 Crafts 1, 2, 3, 4 Home Furnishings 1, 2, 3 4- Crafts 5 Quilting 1 & 2 Home Environment 1 Naturespace 1 Woodworking 1, 2, 3 4- Crafts 15 4 Crafts 1, 2, 3, 4 Home Furnishings Monogram String Art 18 Cultural Arts 4 Crafts Laminate Sample Craft 18 Cultural Arts 4 Crafts Snowglobe 18 Cultural Arts 4 Crafts Glass Etching 18 Cultural Arts 4 Crafts CD Spinner Top and Decorated Pencil Can 29 Family and Child Development 18 Cultural Arts 1, 2, 3 4 Crafts Wire & Yarn Art 18 Cultural Arts 4 Crafts Light Globe 18 Cultural Arts 4- Crafts Learn to Grow 15 Flower & House Plants 3 or 6 House Plants 6

7 Club News Blockhouse Builders by Ellie VanNatta: The January meeting for the Blockhouse Builders was held on January 29th at Peace Lutheran Church. It was originally scheduled for January 15th but needed to be moved due to bad weather. Before we started our meeting we worked on setting goals for our record books. We set our goals for our 4-H activity story and our project goals. During our meeting for old business we had a report on our Christmas caroling, the 4-H lock-in, delivering gifts for our Christmas Adopt-a-Family and our Family Project day project which is marshmallow catapults. For new business we talked about the Art Beat Camp. We had a project talk by Penny Black on her painting project. Our next meeting is February 19th at Peace Lutheran church in Platteville. Cassville Country Buddies by Irelyn Brinkman: In February, we made homemade sugar cookies for our cookie decorating booth at 4-H Project Day. We made plans for a cookie fundraiser. We will decorate homemade Easter sugar cookies and sell them for $8.50/dozen. Our next meeting is Saturday, March 3 rd at 10 am at St. Charles School in Cassville. Hazel Green Clever Clovers: We held a meeting on February 11th at the village hall. The club held its first Taste of 4H baking contest, and had 25 bakers participate. Everyone got to sample the baked goods at the end of the meeting, and everything was delicious. Thank you to all the judges who helped out. The club also voted on a club trip and will be traveling to the Wisconsin Dells in June. We will be holding a food drive called Hopping for the Hungry next month. Next meeting is March 11th at the village hall. Mt. Ida Hilltoppers by Mariah Kopp The Mt. Ida Hilltoppers held our February Meeting, February 4 th. At our meeting we finalized what we will be selling for our fundraiser. We also picked the date in which we will be doing our winter club trip to a Fighting Saints Hockey Game. Members of the club will be making Valentine s Day gifts for the residents at the Good Samaritan in Fennimore. We ended our meeting with Katlyn Schnitlzer and Daniel Witzig, each doing a demonstration. Our next meeting is March 4 th at St. Peters Lutheran Church starting at 5 p.m. Town and Country Kids by Cal Reuter: February 11, We held our meeting at Skate Country and afterwards we went roller skating. January 20th was the Eagle Watch in Dubuque It was fun to see eagles and different kinds of raptors. On February 3rd we went to the Skills Day at Southwest Tech, then we went to Wild Side Sporting in Boscobel. It was a fun day, with a lot to do. We talked about going camping this summer. Kristen is looking into different places and prices for camping. Our next meeting will be at Pioneer Lanes in Platteville, on Sunday, March 11th, at 3:00. Attention club secretaries & reporters: Please remember to send your club news to jenny.dixon@ces.uwex.edu or charisse.orth@ces.uwex.edu. 7

8 Projects and Activities Shooting Sports Practice: 4-H members enrolled in Shooting Sports are invited to practice Air Rifle and Archery. Practices will be at the Tri County Archery, 9145 Co. Line Rd, Platteville. If you have your own equipment bring it along, if not we will provide it for you. All shooting sports members must attend two practices to participate in competition shoots for the fairs. Scheduled practices: March 11, April 8 and May 6 at Tri County Archery at 1:00 p.m., future dates will be announced at a later date. For more information contact Dave Vosberg at or Rhonda Hughey at Are you ready to soar into the unknown! Do you love LEGOS, COMPUTER, and ROBOTS? Are you age 9-14? Do you want to be on a team that has the potential to go back to the State Competition? We are LOOKING for you! NAME: INTO ORBIT THEME: Explore living in and traveling through space Gather your crew and get ready to explore, challenge and innovate in the demanding and inspiring expanse we call space! The 2018/2019 FIRST LEGO League season requires you to work together to break out of your earthly constraints. Do you have what it takes to go INTO ORBIT? Tentative Meeting Dates: April 8 th 1-4 Youth and Ag, South Room May 6 th 1-4 Youth and Ag, South Room June 10 th 1-4 Youth and Ag, South Room July 1 st 1-4 Youth and Ag, North Room We are looking for H youth to add to our team. To be considered for the 2018 team students need to attend at least 2 of these meetings and parents need to be willing to help and participate in planning meetings when we get closer to the start of the season. More meetings may be planned between these dates depending on interest. A mini camp is also being considered sometime in June. For more information or changes in dates contact Amy Brandemuehl at brandemuehlfarms@gmail.com or the UW-Extension Office. Mark Your Calendar Communication Arts Day Sunday, April 29 at 2:00 pm Youth & Ag Center 8

9 Projects and Activities COME BE A PART OF GRANT COUNTY S 4-H COMMUNICATION ARTS DAY! The Music Group, Individual and Duet Vocal, Instrumental and Dance contest, Speaking and Demonstration contest and Drawing & Painting contest will be held April 29 at the Youth & Ag Center. 4-H Group Music, Dance, Vocal & Instrumental contest: 4-H members may choose to do a solo or duet, vocal and instrumental or dance selection. The contest is split into two age divisions, grades 3-7 and grades 8 and over. Each member may have one vocal entry, one instrumental entry and one dance entry. Clubs are encouraged to enter the Group Music Contest. 4-H Speaking, Demonstration & Illustrated Talk Contests: Open to all 4-H members in grades 3 and over. Members will be judged by the following groupings: Beginner Grades: 3-5 Junior Grades: 6-8 Senior Grades: 9 & over Participants can only enter one category: Interpretive Reading of Prose & Poetry, Original Speech, Agricultural or Environmental, Memorized Declamation or Illustrated Talk. The deadline for registrations is Friday, April 6. For a complete list of rules and entry forms check the website at or contact the Grant County UW-Extension Office at Members can receive fair premiums and are required to pay the one time only $3 fair entry fee. Members will have the opportunity to schedule your own time slots by calling the UW-Extension Office. 6 th Annual Drawing & Painting Contest: Entry Requirements: Participants must be enrolled in the Art, Arts and Crafts, or the Drawing and Painting project. Members are limited to presenting one piece. Exhibits must be the member s original work. Exhibits will be hung on the wall in the Auditorium, so exhibits must be ready for display. Your hanger must be sturdy enough to hang the exhibit. Exhibits must have been completed in this project year. Exhibits must be labeled with your name, club, grade, title or description of the exhibit. Exhibits must be in place by 1:45 pm, on Sunday, April 29. Ribbons and peer choice awards will be awarded during the Music Contest. Exhibits will be judged against other exhibits by grade categories: Cloverbuds (Kindergarten - 2 nd grade) 3 rd - 5 th grade 6 th - 8 th grade 9 th grade and over. Check the Grant County 4-H website at or contact the UW-Extension Office for entry forms and more information. Entry deadline is Friday, April 6. 9

10 Jr. Leaders Operation Easter Bunny: The Grant County Junior Leaders will be sponsoring Operation Easter Bunny: Food and Toiletry Drive to support families in need this upcoming Easter. We invite clubs to join in this cause by collecting unexpired, non-perishable food products as well as toiletry/hygiene products (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.) The club with the most number of items collected will win a movie night with snack and beverages. We will also be able to accept monetary donations. However, a monetary donation will only count as one item for the competition. It is encouraged to reach out to local businesses, schools, and churches to try to collect as much as possible! Collected items can be dropped off in the Auditorium of the Youth & Ag Center on March 13 from 6:00 7:00 p.m. Please note that this will be prior to the March Countywide Leader s Association meeting. Junior Leaders will distribute the collected items to food pantries throughout the county. If you have any questions, contact Adam Riley. adamriley61@gmail.com. I am looking forward to seeing how large of an impact 4-H can have on families this Easter! Join Jr. Leaders! Do you want to boost your 4-H leadership role? Or meet 4-Hers from other parts of Grant County? Consider joining the Grant County 4-H Jr. Leaders! Jr. Leaders is open to any 4-Her in 7th grade and above. Join us at any meeting to see what the group is working on including community service projects and recreational activities. The group usually meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 pm, see the calendar portion for more details or call the UW-Extension Office at The Jr. Leaders invite you to go ice skating with them on Friday, March 16 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Mystique Ice Center in Dubuque IA. The cost is $5.00 per 4-H member. Please register with the UW- Extension Office by March

11 Grant County Fair 2018 Changes for Grant County Fair The following have been approved by the Grant County Fair board and will be changes in the 2018 fair book. Fair book will be available online by May 15. Goats: Add the additional time of check in of 9-11am on Wednesday Add under rules All does over 24 months must have kidded to be shown Under class 3 add: Other market breeds Jr Doe Kid less than 6 months Other market breeds Sr Doe Kid at least 6 months but fewer than 12 months Other market breeds Yearling Doe at least 12 months but fewer than 24 months Other market breeds - 2 year old Doe at least 24 months but fewer than 36 months Other market breeds - 3 year old Doe at least 36 months but fewer than 48 months Other market breeds Mature Doe 48 months and over Under class 3 remove the word Pigmy lots entirely Under class 4 change pigmy to other market breeds Beef: Change the tie outs on Thursday night to 8pm but leave Friday and Saturday to 9pm Sheep: Under the market ewe lambs change the weigh in times from 12-2pm to 12-1pm Clothing: Changes to the following in all classes: Adding shorts with pants and capris Adding romper with split skirts (removing shorts from this lot) Changes to class 10 and 11 only Adding garment made by exhibitor with creative stitchery Clothing Revue: Changes to the following: Adding shorts with pants and capris Adding romper with split skirts (removing shorts from this lot) Computer: Add to each class (three classes total) Any other computer generated item Robotics: Add the following to robotics Robot built at a lego camp or using a loaner robot. Show robot doing a task autonomously (by itself) including any props used to demonstrate robot doing a task. Explanation card must be included with how to run, task that is being shown, and any special attachments to the base robot that you have made. Demonstration during judging is encouraged. Video showing a autonomous run of a First LEGO league robot that they programmed themselves to complete a FLL challenge. Entrant must show challenge that they are demonstrating along with explanations of jugs/attachments or challenges they encountered also include any help you received from teammates and/or mentors and coaches when programming or building the robot or attachments. Contact current Robotics coach for additional details. MUST BE ON A USB DRIVE OR A LINK TO A VIDEO SITE (YouTube) (continued on next page) 11

12 Dogs: Add a class for pet costumes Grant County Fair Grant County Fair Changes Continued Cavies: Add a male and female cavy class with ages 6 months and over 6 months Food & Nutrition: This department has made multiple changes with adding Gluten free baking and other baked goods to each class. They also changed the quantity of what you need to bring in certain lots. Foods Revue: Added a beef award to the top beef recipes in each class Added a peer choice award voted on at foods revue Vet check in times has changed. Please see information printed in bold under each department for your respectable times to check in your animals. Wanted: Junior Fairest of the Fair for the Grant County Fair, August 12-19, 2018 Contest Rules: Contestant must be in 7 th, 8 th, or 9 th grade in school. Complete the essay question below in 150 words or less. If selected, contestant can no longer seek the role of Junior Fairest of the Fair. If for any reason there is not a Fairest of the Fair selected that year there will be no Junior Fairest of the Fair for that year either. Grant County Fair Board members will select the finalist. Number of finalists based on number of applications received by deadline: April 6, Applicants will be notified by April 16 th of their status. The finalists will introduce themselves and be interviewed with brief questions regarding promoting the Grant County Fair on May 3, The winner will receive $ plus an all event ticket into the 2018 Grant County Fair. Call the Fair Office at for an application or go online at to download an application. 12

13 Grant County Fair The Grant County Fair is happy to announce that we are moving forward with the construction of a new swine barn this year. As part of the fundraising efforts to build this barn we are having a pork supper on April 2, 2018 at the Youth & Ag Building from 4:30pm to 8pm. For those families that are in the swine project I am asking for your help with this fundraising event. I will be looking for volunteers to serve, clean tables, and put carry outs together. I would also like to ask each family to make a pan of bars. Please consider donating your time and baking a dessert. This is a great opportunity to volunteer even if you re not in the swine project. Let s make this a great night for fundraising for our new facility. I made a sign up schedule for this event on Sign up Genius. Please go to and in the upper right hand corner click on the search button. Then under Search for a Sign Up you will type my address aolson@co.grant.wi.gov and proceed. Thank you in advance for signing up - Amy Olson, Grant County Fairgrounds & Operations Director 13

14 Announcements V.I.P. - VOLUNTEER IN PREPARATION TRAINING (NEW LEADER CERTIFICATION) Monday, March 5 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm OR Thursday, March 22 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm There will be two Volunteer in Preparation (V.I.P.) Training to certify new 4-H Leaders and volunteers. The State 4-H Program updated the materials used to certify new leaders and it will now be called V.I.P. training. If you have new families in your club or families who have re-enrolled, encourage the adults to go through this training. The training talks through 4-H best practices, policy and gives information that can be implemented in to the club. Please call the office at to register. *Trainings that do not have enough preregistrations will be cancelled. Creative Youth Expo: Summer will be here before you know it, so mark your calendars for this year s Creative Youth Expo. The expo, open to children 8-18 years of age, will be held on Saturday, July 28th, in the Youth and Ag Center at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Lancaster. There ll be lots of fun and interesting projects to choose from in each of four sessions held throughout the day and children of every skill level are welcome. A variety of sewing, arts and crafts and cooking classes, as well as some fun extra activities will be available. The cost is $5 per child and a nutritious lunch is included. Adults are welcome to accompany their child, but must also register and pay the $5 fee. Class descriptions, photos and registration information will be available on the Grant County Extension web site at a later date. If you have questions, please call the UW-Extension Office at Have a 4-H event or meeting you would like to promote? Want to share a picture of what your club is doing? your articles, flyers and pictures to charisse.orth@ces.uwex.edu or jenny.dixon@ces.uwex.edu. 14

15 Announcements Mini Grant Opportunities for 4-Hers and 4-H Leaders: Are you tired of borrowing your grandma's sewing machine or your aunt's camera? Would you like to have your own saw to make your woodworking project? Maybe you want your own cattle clippers so you don't have to share with your siblings anymore? Or what about that rabbit you've always wanted? Mom and dad say no because you don't have a cage. We can help you change that and get your very own items to use for your 4-H projects this year and many years to come. The 4-H Leader s Executive Board is starting a new grant program aimed to help members get some of the hard to come by or more expensive supplies needed to learn and be successful. Any member is grades 3-11 are eligible to apply for a grant up to $150. Applications are available online and at Project Day. They are due to the UW-Extension Office by March 9, Southdown Ewe Lamb Award Wisconsin Southdown Association Purpose: To promote youth involvement with Southdown sheep in Wisconsin by awarding youth with a quality registered ewe lamb to begin their flocks. Who is Eligible? Wisconsin youth ages enrolled in 4-H or FFA who do not already own Southdown sheep. Winner(s) will be announced and animal(s) awarded at the Wisconsin Southdown Stars Sale & Symposium in April. Winner(s) will be contacted prior to the Sale and must be in attendance in order to receive the ewe lamb(s). Each winner will receive individual instruction on feeding and care of the ewe lamb and a mentor will be introduced who can be contacted any time for information and assistance. The mentor will report back to the Wisconsin Southdown Association from time to time on the progress of the winner in raising his or her ewe lamb. For full requirements, application and information, please contact rosehillsouthdowns@gmail.com. Deadline is March 15, 2018 Area Animal Science Days Dates for 2018 June 14 Kewaunee County June 22 Clark County June 29 Lafayette County Thanks to these counties for hosting. Rules will be similar to last year. Complete rules and registration information will be available on the website at area-animal-science-days/ as they are completed. 15

16 Announcements 28th Annual Monroe County 4-H Fur, Fin & Feather Show: April 14 th, :00 a.m. at the Sparta Barney Center, 1000 E. Montgomery Street Sparta, WI Pullorum Test Available. COME SEE WHAT 4-H KIDS HAVE TO SHOW! Ribbons will be awarded to all participants. Cat, small pet, pet poultry, and pet rabbit placing will be based on face-to-face judging. Rabbit and poultry breed classes will be judged according the Standard of Perfection. Champions will receive a trophy. Visit monroe.uwex.edu or call to enter or more information. Wisconsin 4-H & Youth Conference, June 25-28, 2018: Wisconsin 4-H & Youth Conference is a three and a half day Statewide Educational Experience. Youth from all over Wisconsin come to Madison, Wisconsin for educational seminars, assemblies, speakers, exploration, and fun on the UW-Madison campus! Youth Conference is made possible by contributions from our State Teams (Wisconsin Leadership Council, Drama Company, Art Team, and Communications Team), 4-H staff from across the state, and a planning committee made up of staff, volunteers, and youth. You will find highlights of the different parts of Youth Conference that come together to make it a wonderful Educational Experience and other information at fyi.uwex.edu/wi4hedopp/wisconsin-4-h-youth-conference/. Contact Charisse Orth by Friday, March 23 if you are interested in going. Funding, provided by the Leaders Association, can be requested to help cover some of the cost. Wisconsin State Fair Info: Youth interested in showing market beef, sheep, swine, OR breeding stock commercial heifers/crossbred gilts/wether type ewes at the 2018 Wisconsin State Fair Junior Show will need to have their animal projects DNA and RFID identified by the State Fair eligibility deadlines. This identification system allows animals which are DNA and RFID identified through the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) County and State Fair program to meet State Fair Identification requirements if the process is completed (all forms returned and samples on file) by the Wisconsin State Fair identification deadline postmarks listed. Questions related to the DNA/RFID identification process contact: WLIC helpdesk@wiid.org Questions related to Wisconsin State Fair or entry procedures contact: entryoffice@wistatefair.com or

17 Announcements State Fair Dairy Promotion Board Scholarships Available: The Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board is offering $1,000 scholarships to be used during the second semester of the school year. Third and fourth-year college students pursuing dairy-related or food science degrees at one of Wisconsin s four-year universities are eligible to apply. Additional scholarships will be available to high school seniors planning to pursue a dairy-related or food science degree at one of Wisconsin s four-year universities or students studying in a two-year, technical school program related to dairy or food science. Applicants will be evaluated on involvement and leadership in dairy-related activities, scholastic achievement, and career objectives. Finalists will be interviewed in mid-april, with the recipients to be recognized at the 2018 Wisconsin State Fair. The application is available at wistatefair.com/competitions/dairy-promo-board/. Application deadline is Friday, March 23. For more information, contact Katy Katzman at or katzman@idcnet.com. The 2018 Arlington Sheep Day Program: Arlington Sheep Day will be held on Saturday, March 10 th at the Arlington Public events building in the morning and then transition into the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Sheep Breeders Cooperative in the afternoon. Registration is due March 2 nd. For more information please contact Todd Tayler at ttaylor@wisc.edu or Bernie O Rourke at borouke2@ansci.wisc.edu. More information can also be found at: Aldo Leopold Writing Contest 2018: Each year students in grades 9 through 12, in public, private, and home schools in Wisconsin are invited to consider a writing prompt or question and create an essay response in 500 words. Three winning essays are chosen from each category (9 th -10 th grade and 11 th -12 th grade). Winning essays are featured on the Aldo Leopold Foundation website and may be printed in The Leopold Outlook magazine. Winners also receive a cash award, a copy of A Sand County Almanac, and memberships to the Aldo Leopold Foundation, International Crane Foundation, and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. An awards ceremony will take place at the Leopold Center in Baraboo, WI on Saturday, May Writing Contest Topic Students are encouraged to read and reference the Forward and other essays from Leopold s A Sand County Almanac in their responses. Aldo Leopold loved the land and its wildness. Describe a place in nature that you love. Why is it wild to you? Entries are due by March 23, Entries shall be submitted online. 17

18 March H ECHO University of Wisconsin-Extension Grant County Extension 916 East Elm Street, Suite A Lancaster, WI Change Service Requested Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 89 Lancaster, WI An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. March Highlights 3 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl & Skillathon Contest 5 VIP New Leader Certification 9 DEADLINE 4-H Leaders Executive Board Mini Grant 11 4-H Shooting Sports Practice 13 Jr. Leader Operation Easter Bunny 13 4-H Countywide Leader s Meeting 16 Jr. Leaders Ice Skating 21 Cat Informational Meeting 22 VIP New Leader Certification 23 DEADLINE WI 4-H & Youth Conference 26 Jr. Leaders Meeting 26 Out of State Meeting 30 Good Friday 18