Club Corner 2

Scholarship Opportunity 3

Isabella County Rabbit & Cavy Show

4

4-H Workshops 5

4-H Article 6

Horse Camp 1 9

Pony Express Fundraiser

10

4-H Exploration Days 11

4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp

12

MSU Meat Lab 13

Poultry Palooza 14

State Goat Expo 15

Teen Leadership Conference

16

Shropshire Starter Flock 17

Montcalm County 4-H 18

Calendar 19

Inside this issue:

March 2014

CHANNEL 4-H NEWS

MSU Extens ion - Isabel la County

2014 4-H Exploration Days June 18 - 20, 2014

4-H Exploration Days is an annual state youth conference held on the campus of MSU that is open to all youth ages 11-19. This event is meant to be a learning experience that will instill self-esteem, decision-making skills, independent thinking and leadership skills. The full time participant fee is $165 which includes meals, lodging, and a t-shirt. 4-H Council will pay half the fee for full time registration.

Registration begins on March 18 and sessions fill up very fast, so turn in your registration forms as soon as possible to the Extension office.

For a registration book or for more information check out the Exploration Days website at: http://4h.msue.msu.edu/4h/4_h_exploration_days

Dairy Feeder Weigh-In Saturday, March 8 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Isabella County Fairgrounds

Animals cannot weigh over 250 lbs. and must be: One of the following breeds:

Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, or Jersey Castrated & dehorned

Each member can either: A. Weigh in a maximum of two feeders or, B. Within immediate families of more than one exhibitor: each member may weigh in one feeder, and one "family alternate" can be weighed in for the family. Only one feeder per exhibitor can be brought to fair.

Isabella County 4-H Scholarship Isabella County offers two $500 scholarships to 4-H members or former members each year. The scholarship recipient must be enrolled at an institution of higher learning and have been involved with 4-H in Isabella County. The scholarship is not limited to college freshmen. To get an application, click here: Isabella County 4-H Scholarship or you may pick one up at the Extension office. Applications are due back to the office by April 30. The scholarship recipient will be notified by May 15.

CLUB CORNER Barn Yard Kids - We talked about activities and decided to go bowling on March 2. We changed the meeting to the first Monday every month. We are going to get new club t-shirts and we are getting sweatshirts. We had a craft presentation on duct tape. At our next meeting we will vote on a theme for our stalls. Next meeting is going to be on March 3. Farm Hands - At our February meeting members discussed the upcoming dairy feeder weigh-in and how many families would be able to help if needed. Small animal members are geared up to start getting their projects and have discussed doing a rabbit showmanship at our next meeting. We are all trying to stay warm and keep our animals that way too. Town & Country Maple Leaves - At our February meeting we had a pot luck with a Mexican food theme. After we had our meeting and we ate, most stayed after to play basketball, kickball, and also dodgeball. We hope everyone had a great time!

Small Animal News

Our next Small Animal Association meeting will be on Thursday, March 20, at 7:00 p.m.

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Broiler Chick Orders Time to order your broiler chicks! Orders need to be placed at the Extension office by April 29. Approximate cost per bird including shipping is $1.61 each if we are able to order 100 birds.

Call the Extension office for order forms. If you have any questions, call Darlene at 828-4618 or Wanda at 828-5833.

Project Record Binders If you are in need of a 3 ring binder for project records, please stop by our office. We have gently used binders available. They would be perfect for project record books.

Brianna Boerma & Theresa Clark Awarded MSU Pre-College Scholarship! It is our pleasure to announce that Brianna Boerma of Aim High 4-H Club and Theresa Clark of Rural Routers 4-H club were recipients of the MSU Pre-College Program Scholarship.

The MSU Pre-College Scholarship is a one-time $2,000 award from MSU Admissions for use during a student's first year at MSU (as either a degree-seeking incoming freshman or transfer student). The scholarship is applied automatically toward the student’s first year at MSU. The Pre-college scholarship program that our 4-H members attended was Exploration Days. Congratulations Brianna & Theresa!

Contest to Rename the 4-H Newsletter- $25 cash prize to be awarded The Isabella County 4-H Program Council decided at their February meeting to sponsor a contest to rename the 4-H newsletter. $25 will be awarded to the 4-H member entry that is selected.

4-H members age 5 – 19 may submit an entry. Entries should be dropped off, mailed, or emailed to the Extension office by Friday, March 21. Include your name, age, club, and the new name you have selected for the monthly 4-H newsletter. Thanks and good luck!

2014 4-H Calendars There still are 4-H calendars available at the office, in case you have not yet received one. Stop by and get one!

Dog Classes Classes will be held every Tuesday for 4 weeks, beginning on Tuesday, March 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the kennel club building.

For more information, contact Diane Gaw at (989)772-7503 or dmkovacs@gmail.com.

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Tractor Supply Spring Paper Clover Promotion

Save the dates: April 23 - May 4

Be sure to mark your calendar and begin planning how your club will get involved in-store at our local Tractor Supply Company during the Spring Paper Clover promotion. Try displaying your record books or projects or have a bake sale! Contact the MSU Extension office if you are interested in participating in the promotion at the store.

Swine Project Members - PQA Plus Trainings Wednesday, March 12 - Isabella County - 6:00 p.m. at the Isabella County Building, room 320. To register, please call the Isabella County MSU Extension office at (989) 772-0911, ext. 302.

Saturday, March 22 - Montcalm County - 10:00 a.m. at the H.O. Steele Building on South M-66 (about 2 miles south of M-57; 10260 S. Sheridan Road). To register, please call (989) 831-7500.

Tuesday, April 8 - Gratiot County - 6:00 p.m. at the Ithaca RESD (1131 E Center Street, Ithaca) Please call the Gratiot County MSU Extension office (989) 875-5233 to register. All swine project members must be Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus certified in order to exhibit your animal at the 2014 Isabella County Fair. If you attended a meeting last year, check your completion certificate for your certification deadline date. If you cannot find your certificate, contact the Extension office. Required for exhibitors ages 8 - 19.

Scholarship Opportunity The Isabella County Royalty Program is more than just tiaras, fair week, parades and other social events. It is an opportunity for our young ladies and gentlemen to share their experiences, accomplishments and be a role model for others. One of the many rewards of the program is scholarship money to help fund a college education. If you are interested in the Royalty Program email Amy Vogel at isabellaroyalty@gmail.com and she will be happy to provide you with the packet of information as soon as it is available. Winners of the Senior and Junior divisions will be announced on July 6, 2014 at the 4-H Camp. This event is open to all 4-H members, leaders and families.

Fairground Clean-Up & Work Bee Weekend Plans are being made to coordinate a work bee at the Fairgrounds. This event is open to all 4-H members, families and leaders. What a great opportunity for community service as a club! A little elbow grease and volunteer expertise can go a long way. Please tentatively mark your calendars for June 28

th and 29

th and watch the newsletters for more information as it becomes

available.

Service Opportunity - at the Isabella County Rabbit & Cavy Show Do you need a few hours of community service? Plan to join us Friday, May 9, anytime between 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., in the Merchant's Building at the fair grounds -- put it on your calendar now as it really isn't that far away. We will be setting up equipment and various displays for the 2014 Isabella County Rabbit & Cavy Show. We also need many volunteers throughout the day on May 10 while the show is in progress; specifically beginning at 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (give or take a bit) to put everything away. We have a variety of jobs for a variety of people. For more specific details and to volunteer, please call Angie Coldwell at 828-6229. We are also accepting items for our silent auction; the proceeds from the auction help defer the expenses of this event.

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Animal Science 2014 Calendar of Events

DATE EVENT LOCATION March 1-9 Ag & Natural Resources Week MSU March 7-9 MI Horse Expo MSU Pavilion March 23 4-H Hairy Horse Benefit Show MSU Pavilion April 4-6 Michigan Beef Expo MSU Pavilion April 5 Vet-A-Visit MSU April 11 State 4-H Horse Communications Contest MSU, Anthony Hall April 12 4-H Horse Spotlight on Speed Clinic Show MSU Pavilion April 12 Small Animals Day MSU Pavilion April 13 Block & Bridle Club Livestock Judging Contest MSU Pavilion April 26 State 4-H Goat Expo MSU, Anthony Hall June 6-8 MI Jr. Beef Show & Beef Showcase MSU Pavilion June 7 4-H Rabbit & Cavy Expo MSU, Anthony Hall June 7-8 MI Jr. Sheep Spectacular & B&B Club Lamb Show MSU Pavilion June 13-15 MI Spartan Classic Jr. Swine Show MSU Pavilion June 20-22 State 4-H Trail Ride Whiskey Creek Campground June 23-27 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp MSU June 28 State 4-H Goat Show MSU Pavilion June TBD MMPA Dairy Tour Novi July 17 State 4-H/FFA Livstock Judging Contest MSU Pavilion July 17-20 MI Livestock Expo MSU Pavilion July 21-25 MI Dairy Expo & 4-H Dairy Days MSU Pavilion July 25 State 4-H/FFA Meats Judging Contest MSU, Anthony Hall August 9 State 4-H Dog Show MSU Pavilion August 15-17 State 4-H Horse Show MSU Pavilion

ISABELLA COUNTY 4-H RABBIT & CAVY SHOW

We will be celebrating our 25th year with a new date and a new location: May 10, 2014, in the Merchant's Building at the Isabella County Fairgrounds.

We realize there may be a couple of other events that day, but are hoping those that are able can attend at least a portion of the show. We will also have a special surprise for all mothers that attend! Because Isabella County 4-H’ers will have purchased their fair animals by this date, we hope you will take the opportunity to get comments from very respected judges and enter showmanship. We will also have our educational exhibit class; enter a project and get useful input that you can use towards a fair project entry. Registration is 7:30 am - 8:30 am for rabbits, 10:00 - 10:30 am for cavies. Showmanship classes will begin at or near 9:00 am and breed classes will follow as scheduling allows. Our high-quality silent auctions will be available from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm and we will have a concession stand.

Mark your calendars now as May is a very busy time of year! We hope you will join us and help celebrate our Silver Anniversary! We also have some "special" plans reserved for just such an occasion. Much more information will be shared in the coming months. If you are interested in helping with set up or various tasks throughout the show day, please let us know.

For questions or additional information, contact Tammy Brecht (828-6394), Alissa Davis (330-1601) or Angie Coldwell (828-6229).

4-H Teen Leadership & Community Change Conference March 29 - 30, 2014 - Kettunen Center This powerful 2014 conference brings teens, age 12 and up, from across the state to learn youth leadership and civic engagement skills. Adult volunteers are welcome, too. Following are quotes from the past conference participants: “I can be a greater (teen) leader and organize events to help my community.” “I learned how my community service can help prepare me for my future.” “Leadership can be easy and fun.” “4-H gets to travel around the world to help people who have little.” “The discussions about service learning and helping my community will help me.” “I will be a more effective leader in my county groups.” For more information please view the Program Announcement.

Michigan 4-H Dairy Conference April 25 - 27, 2014 - Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries, Sebewaing Do you have an interest in learning more about the dairy industry in Michigan? Then this is the conference for you! You’ll learn about real-world dairy management topics, like nutrition, reproduction, welfare, health, and cattle evaluation. You’ll have the chance to practice for the state dairy skill-a-thon and quiz bowl contests and get to tour area farms. Experts from the dairy industry and Michigan State University will lead educational, hands-on sessions about dairy management to bring the learning to life! This conference is open to youth ages 13-19 as of January 1, 2014. For more information please view the Program Announcement.

Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification April 25 - April 27, 2014 - Kettunen Center This workshop is for 4-H staff, adult 4-H volunteers who have completed the 4-H Volunteer Selection Process with their county, and teens enrolled in a 4-H shooting sports club who are at least 16 years old as of Jan. 1, 2014. Participants must be approved by their county MSU Extension 4-H Staff person to work with 4-H Shooting Sports Programs and have at least a basic working knowledge of, and experience in the discipline in which they wish to participate. Disciplines offered will include shotgun, rifle (BB, .22, air/pellet), archery, muzzleloading, and hunting and wildlife.

Participants will learn about MI 4-H shooting sports mission, policies, risk management, safety, discipline specific equipment use and care, how to teach shooting fundamentals to youth, range set-up, and more. Participants will also develop and improve skills in teaching shooting sports activities to youth; learn how to develop, expand, and maintain local 4-H Shooting Sports clubs/programs; have the opportunity to exchange ideas for local and State 4-H Shooting Sports programs with volunteers from many counties; and develop renewed respect and concern for safety in the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Adults who successfully complete the workshop and all other requirements will receive certification as a MI 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor for the discipline in which they participated. Only 4-H certified instructors can lead live-fire, on-range shooting and archery experiences for youth and/or in 4-H Shooting Sports programs.

Simply attending this workshop does not guarantee that you will receive certification as a MI 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor. In addition to attending the entire workshop, participants must

pass a written test administered at the workshop

be approved as “qualified and safe” by the instructor teaching their discipline

complete and submit the MI 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification/Recertification Application within 90 days

after the workshop. AND successfully complete the four (4) on-line “Volunteer e-learning Course” modules. These take about 20 minutes each to complete. All participants must complete these modules PRIOR to the workshop unless they attended the workshop and completed all four modules in 2013. Modules can be found at: http://4h.wsu.edu/volunteertraining/. Instructions and passwords for logging in and completing the modules can be found at: http://4h.msue.msu.edu/4h/resources/4_h_volunteer_e_learning_course_instructions. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you enter “shooting sports” next to your county name (ex. Ingham Shooting Sports). This will be what cues the system to send notification of completion of modules to the state 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator. Without this verification PRIOR to the workshop you may not be able to attend and those on the waiting list who have completed their modules will be given the opportunity to participate.

4-H WORKSHOPS Registration fee for the below workshops is paid by the Isabella County 4-H Program Council

for all enrolled teen (ages 13 and up) and adult 4-H volunteers. To register contact the MSU Extension office at 772-0911 ext. 302.

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Resources to help your club meetings be effective! Part 3

Use these helpful tools to evaluate the effectiveness of your 4-H club meetings. Posted on February 21, 2014 by Katie VanderKolk, Michigan State University Extension

Sitting through ineffective meetings is not how anyone wants to spend their precious time. 4-H club meetings are no exception! According to Michigan State University Extension, planning effective club meetings takes skill and determination on the part of the club leader and the club youth officers. There are many ways that volunteer club leaders can assess club meetings to make sure that youth are getting the most out of their club time. Over a series of articles, MSU Extension will explore different resources and tools that can help volunteers determine the effectiveness of their club meetings. These resources will provide a variety of methods to assess various aspects of the club. This article, part 3, will explore the Vibrant Club Assessment Tool produced by the National 4-H Council. The tool is made up of two documents; the “What Is Your Club Like” Vibrant Clubs Assessment questionnaire and the Vibrant Clubs Score Sheet. The questionnaire is made up of 15 questions to assess situations including:

Youth participate in major decisions related to the policies and activities of the club.

Youth have opportunities to identify and learn about community issues they care about.

Youth are actively engaged in their own learning through practical, hands-on activities.

Youth are matched with mentors or older youth in the club. Each of the fifteen questions asks youth members and leaders to rank their answer to the statement as 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neutral, 4) Agree or 5) Strongly Agree. At the end of the questionnaire, participants should add up their total numerical scores and place them at the top of the page. Persons filling out the questionnaires are not asked to provide any identifying information, such as their name, age or project area, so that everyone can feel comfortable sharing their true opinions of their club. After the questionnaires are filled out, totaled by participants and collected, the club leader can ana-lyze the results with the Vibrant Clubs Score Sheet by recording each of the participants’ total scores and averaging them together. The score sheet contains ranges between the club being vibrant, do-ing well with a need for improvement in only a few areas and the club needing to seek help. If your club scores in the “need to seek help” category, do not worry! With some help from your local county 4-H staff person, you can implement new strategies to attain a vibrant status. Part 1 and part 2 in this series contain additional tools and resources that can help you transform your club.

**See pages 7 & 8 for Vibrant Club Questionnaire**

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2014 4-H Horse Camp 1

Name of Camper:____________________________________ Age (as of 1/1/14):________ Address:______________________________________________________________________ street city zip Phone:(______)____________________ Gender: M F Email:________________________________________________ Are you currently a 4-H member in Isabella County? Yes___ No___

Residence: ____Farm ____Town Under 10,000 ____Town/city w/population of 10,000-50,000 ____Suburb Racial-Ethnic background: (for statistical purposes only) ____White, not of Hispanic origin ____Asian or Pacific Islander ____Hispanic ____American Indian or Alaskan Native ____Black, not of Hispanic Origin

Special Needs: ____Emotional ____Learning ____Mental ____Physical

Registration Deadline: Friday, April 4th Make check payable to: Teen Horse Leader’s Return form and check to: Isabella County MSUE, 200 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran

status.

“Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by contacting the MSU Extension office at (989) 772-0911 ext. 302. at least 5 days prior to the scheduled event to ensure sufficient time to make arrangements. Requests received after this time will be met when possible.”

OFFICE USE Ck#___________

Date__________

Come and learn about the 4-H horse project! You do not need to own a horse to attend this camp. Horse camp 1 will give you a general base of knowledge of your equipment and animal, and how to be safe. This will be a great learning experience and a good way to go into Horse Camp 2. Geared towards novice/beginning riders including youth who have never owned a horse.

Learning Targets: General Horse Safety Horse Show Terminology Horse Anatomy Parts of the saddle and bridal Bits

For more information contact Jessica Janetski at 989-330-9980 or jjjranch1@yahoo.com

WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 2014 WHERE: Color the Winds Ranch (located at 2242 E Stevenson Lake Road, Clare) TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. AGES: 5 - 19 year olds (by 1/1/14) COST: $10 per youth, after 3 kids is $5

Breeds and Colors Correct Show Attire Saddle Fitting Different Riding Styles

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SAVE THE DATES 4-H PQA Plus Training - March 12

Shooting Sports Information Day - March 15

TSC Spring Paper Clover Sales - April 23 - May 4

Isabella County 4-H Rabbit & Cavy Show - May 10

4-H Exploration Days - June 18 - 20

Camp Counselor Training – July 7

4-H Summer Camp (overnight) - July 8 & 9

4-H Cloverbud Day Camp - July 14 & 15

Fair Entry Day - July 19

Isabella County Youth & Farm Fair – July 20- 26

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8

and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East

Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not

imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

“Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by contacting the MSU Extension office at (989) 772-0911 ext. 302. at

least 5 days prior to the scheduled event to ensure sufficient time to make arrangements. Requests received after this time will be met

when possible.”

Monica Borgman, 4-H Program Coordinator borgman5@anr.msu.edu

Nonie Gross, Secretary I

grossn@anr.msu.edu

Paul Gross, Extension Educator Sabrina McGee, SNAP-ED PI

Belinda Laughlin, Master Gardener Coordinator

Isabella County 4-H Calendar

March 4

Horse Leaders @ MSUE

7 pm

8 Dairy Feeder Weigh-In @ Fairgrounds 8:30 - 11:30 am

9 Teen Horse Leaders @ MSUE 12 - 3 pm

12 PQA Training @ MSUE 6 - 8 pm

15 Shooting Sports Information Day @ MSUE

10 am

20 Small Animal Association @ MSUE 7 pm

23 Teen Horse Leaders @ MSUE 12 - 3 pm

25 Camp Association @ MSUE 6 pm

25 4-H Council @ MSUE 7 pm

Michigan State University Extension Isabella County 200 N. Main Street Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858

Phone: (989) 772-0911 ext. 302 Fax: (989) 773-1622 Website: http://www.isabellacounty.org/dept/msu

Check out our new website: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county/info/isabella

Facebook

In 2014, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the

Smith-Lever Act, which established the Cooperative Extension Service, a state-by-state national network of educators who extend university-based research and knowledge to the people.