DATES TO REMEMBER December 2017 December 6 Extension Council Mtg. 25&26 Christmas Holiday, Extension Office Closed January 1 New Years Holiday, Extension Office Closed 4 Extension Council Mtg., 7:30p.m. at Extension Office 6 15 18 25 28 Beef Weigh-in, 1-3p.m. Knoxville Regional Livestock Mkt MLK Jr. Day, Extension Office Closed 4-H Foundation Mtg., 7:30 at Extension Office 4-H & Youth Committee Mtg., 6:30p.m. at Extension Off. County Council Mtg.; 6:30p.m. at Extension Office February 1 Extension Council Mtg., 7:30p.m. at Extension Office 16 Junior Fun Night, 9-11p.m. at Knoxville Rec Center 19 President s Day; Extension Office Closed 25 County Council Mtg.; 6:30p.m. at Extension Office PAPERLESS NEWSLETTER I am updating my paperless newsletter list. If you would prefer to receive the Clover Courier Newsletter via email please email kephartm@iastate.edu with your email address. If you wish to receive your newsletter via email you will no longer receive a paper copy in the mail each month. 1 2018 Fair Dates Marion County Fair: J uly 13th - 19th Iowa State Fair: August 9th - 19th Marion County Extension Staff County Extension Program Director: Dale Miller, dmill@iastate.edu County Youth Coordinator: Mindy Kephart, kephartm@iastate.edu Ag. Program Assistant: Lauren Petersen, lpeterse@iastate.edu Region 14 Extension Education Director Nathan Crane, ncrane@iastate.edu Youth Program Specialist: Kim Kuester; kuester@iastate.edu
Enrollment 4-H Enrollment is all online this year. If you haven't re-enrolled, please do so. You can visit our webpage (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/marion/ info/howtojoin4h.htm) for directions or stop at the Extension Office and speak with Mindy. You must be enrolled to ID your livestock for the State Fair! Thank You County Council for decorating and putting together the program for the Recognition Banquet! Everyone that has completed re-enrollment for the 2016 4-H year! Janet Ritchie for presenting awards at the Recognition Program! To everyone who attended the 2017 Recognition Program! Marion County Friends of 4-H & Youth Foundation As the year draws to an end, consider making a year-end donation to the Marion County Friends of 4-H & Youth Foundation. This group is comprised completely of volunteers and every penny raised is used for the youth of Marion County. The Marion County Friends of 4-H & Youth Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to our youth. The Foundation supports the youth of Marion County by providing community activities, financial support for educational opportunities and scholarships, community improvement projects, citizenship and leadership training opportunities. For more information on how to donate, please contact the Extension Office 2
SPA NIGHT December 14 @ 6p.m. $15 per participant Come enjoy a relaxing evening of creating fun at-home spa treatments...and trying a few out while you are here. Bring your mom/grandma/ aunt and make it an evening out. These projects would make great fair projects or would be perfect for holiday gifts. Please RSPV by no later than December 11th. Bucket of Junk Do you enjoy welding, or would like to learn how to weld? This year at the Marion County Fair, we have a returning project for you to work on with an adult. The Bucket of Junk Rules are listed below. If you are interested in participating, please call the Extension Office. We will take reservations for participation in the project starting on Friday, December 15th starting at 8:30. If you are a youth that would like to participate but do not know an adult that can help you weld, please sign-up and we will find an adult to work with you. There are only 8 buckets available, so if you sign-up please be sure that you want to participate in the project. Rules: Each team will be made up of one 4-H member and one adult. If you are a youth that would like to participate but do not know of an adult who can help you, please contact the Extension Office and we will find an adult who knows how to weld to help you. Each team will get one bucket. Each bucket will have the similar junk. There will be only 8 buckets available. The first 8 members to contact the Extension Office will be given a bucket of junk. The goal is to use the items in your bucket to create a sculpture or lawn art piece. You will be asked to name your creation when you turn in the final exhibit. You may clean, sand, weld, glue, cut, bolt, fasten, bend, shape, paint or finish the items that you are provided, but no pieces may be added. Entries will be judged on artistic merit, technical merit, and the member s exhibit write-up. All entries will be judged at Dyer-Hudson on the day of regular 4-H/FFA judging. All entries must be completed and returned to the Marion County Extension Office by June 1 st. All Dyer-Hudson Building Exhibit rules apply to this project. These projects will not be eligible to advance to the State Fair. The finished products will be auctioned during the Parade of Champions at the Marion County Fair. Proceeds will go to Marion County 4-H. Special awards will be given. Please contact the Extension at (641)842-2014 or xmarion@iastate.edu for more information. 3
Share-a-Kid 2018 Are you interested in having an animal project, but don t know which animal would be a good fit? The Iowa Dairy Goat Association is offering the Share-a-Kid program for 2018. This statewide contest is open to those in 4th through 12th grades, and who are active members of IDGA, 4-H, FFA, or other agricultural groups. Selected applicants will be awarded a donated doeling and mentorship from the donor. Applications will be accepted January 1, 2018 through March 15, 2018. The application guidelines and form can be accessed on the IDGA website www.iowadairygoat.org. 2018 Marion County Fair Sheep Rule Changes New Division: Hair Sheep Influence will include breeds such as Dorper, Romanov, Katadin, etc. There will be both a breeding and market sheep class Superintendents will make the final decision if that sheep fits into that class at weigh-in at County Fair. New Rule: Lambs must be slick sheered within 1 week PRIOR TO WEIGH-IN at County Fair. They will not be allowed to be weighed-in/ shown unless they are slick sheered by Saturday July 14th at 7am. REMINDER: this will be the second year for a bucket/bottle lamb or kid class. This class is similar to the bucket calf project. Please let the Extension Office know if you have any questions.
Citizenship Washington Focus Trip Looking for an experience of a lifetime? Look no further than the Citizenship Washington Focus trip where you as a 9 th -12 th grader can travel by charter bus to visit Washington D.C. and the National 4-H Center. Experience leadership and citizenship on a higher level with this epic opportunity on June 15-23, 2018. Trip highlights include the Flight 93 Museum, Gettysburg Battlefield, Capitol Hill, Smithsonian Museum, Mount Vernon and the Holocaust Museum. Youth will also meet with the Iowa Congressional and Senate delegations to discuss legislative issues. Besides tours and workshops, 4-H'ers will have time for socializing and meeting new friends! Cost of the trip is $1,700. This includes lodging, transportation, tour site admissions and most meals. Registration and a $550 deposit will be required to secure a spot. Space is limited. Registration deadline is January 10, 2018. To learn more about the trip and to get registration information visit: www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/cwf. Marion County Youth Foundation will cover $500 of your trip cost if you fill out their simple funding request. Cooking Around the World December 27, 28, and 29 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost $60 Spend part of you winter break learning about some of the thing that people in other countries and cultures cook. We will focus on cooking skills while learning about the other cultures whose dishes we are preparing. Be prepared to have a lot of fun and learn some new cooking and baking techniques. This class will be limited to 12 participants. Please call to RSVP no later than December 20th.
This material has been prepared by Mindy Kephart, Marion County 4-H & Youth Coordinator. If you have questions, please contact the office at 842-2014. Return Service Requested Marion County 210 N. Iowa Street PO Box 409 Knoxville, IA 50138 Non-Profit Organization Permit No. 35 Knoxville, IA The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.