Orange Youth Win Many Awards at Northern District Livestock Judging Contest

Congratulations to the numerous Orange youth who won awards at the Shadow of the Blue Ridge Livestock Judging Contest held in Culpeper in late February.

In the Junior division, the team consisting of Robert Nixon, John Michael Knight, and Blake Hopkins placed 2nd in cattle, 2nd in swine, 1st in sheep, 2nd in reasons, and 2nd in questions. The boys placed 1st overall in the contest! Team B, consisting of Haley and Grace Wilbanks, placed 4th in cattle, swine, sheep, reasons, and questions, leading to a fourth place finish overall! Great job for these two new team members.

Individually, John Michael Knight placed 3rd in cattle, 2nd in swine, 2nd in sheep, 1st in oral reasons, 2nd in questions, and was 1st overall in the junior contest. Blake Hopkins placed 1st in sheep, 5th in reasons, and 5th in questions. Haley Wilbanks was 3rd in swine, 3rd in sheep, and 4th overall. Robert Nixon placed 4th in cattle.

The Senior team, consisting of Elizabeth Nixon, Devon McGinnis, Kyle McGinnis, and Caleb Wilson, placed 1st in swine, sheep, questions, and 1st overall, as well as 2nd in cattle and oral reasons. Individually, Kyle McGinnis was 1st overall, 1st in cattle and swine, 3rd in sheep, 4th in reasons, and 2nd in questions. Devon McGinnis was 4th overall, 3rd in swine, and 5th in questions. Caleb Wilson placed 2nd in reasons and Elizabeth Nixon was 5th in sheep.

Congratulations to these 4-H members! Their next contest is in Blacksburg March 27-28, 2009, and is a state-level contest.

Mid-Atlantic Carcass Contest Weigh-ins in April

Youth and adults interested in beef cattle carcass contests should consider the Mid-Atlantic Evaluation Contest. Cattle in this area will be weighed in on April 15 at the Culpeper Agricultural Enterprise. There is no entry fee for youth, and you may weigh in a maximum of three steers (two will compete). The champion will receive $1200; reserve champion receives $1000.

Essentially you weigh in your cattle in April, and then they will be harvested November 5, 2009. Cattle are taken to Winchester on that date, and there is an evaluation contest. Awards will be presented once all carcass data is received and processed. There is a detailed brochure available at the Extension Office, or you can visit Maryland's Beef Page.

Congress Information Posted Online

All 4-H Congress materials can be viewed online. This will be the easiest way to get a packet. If you prefer e-mail, we can do that, too. Please contact the office.

Volunteer Tracey Woolfrey Attends State Leaders' Conference

4-H Volunteer Tracey Woolfrey, leader of a LEGO Robotics group in Orange, attended the Virginia Association of Adult 4-H Volunteer Leaders Spring Conference in Fredericskburg on Saturday. Tracey was a first-time attendee, and participated in sessions related to club meetings, club management, and new ideas for programming. The next VAA4-HVL conference will be in the fall of 2009 in the Lynchburg area.

Teens Needed for VCFC

Teens: Don't forget about the annual VCFC Youth Leadership Conference, April 3-5, 2009, at Graves Mountain Lodge. VCFC is the Virginia Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and they host a special weekend to teach you about the 'cooperative' method of business. All of our past participants have reported learning a lot, having fun, and meeting new folks from across Virginia. Participation is free due to scholarships provided by local co-op's. Please consider attending; I think you'll be glad you did. Participants should be ages 16-19 as of July. Call the office for more details.

Orange Dairy Quizbowl Teams Win District Contest

Congratulations to both the Senior and Junior Dairy Quizbowl teams for their awesome performance at the Northern District Contest! Both teams won their divisions at the District Contest on Friday, February 27. The contest was actually hosted by the Orange County Dairy Club and held at the Orange-Madison Coop. Multiple teams from Fauquier, Goochland, and Orange competed. Now, both teams will participate in the State Contest which will be held on March 21st at Riverheads Elementary School in Augusta County. Senior team members include: Marty Harris, William Van Lear, Joseph Gilbert, and TJ Williams. Junior team members include: Becca Van Lear, Megan Harris, Tristen Goodwin, John Waller Goodwin, and Billy Cooper. If you see any of these team members, please congratulate them.

4-H Congress Information Has Been Released

4-H Congress information has now been released!!! Contact the Extension Office today for a delegate packet. State 4-H Congress is the premier teen event for Virginia 4-H. Delegates must be at least 14 by 9/30/09. Congress delegates stay in the dormitories at Virginia Tech, and enjoy a number of educational and social events. Nationally-known guest speakers present at Congress, state competitions are held during Congress, and delegates have the opportunity to take workshops from a variety of experts in a number of categories. There are two dances during the week, a midnight pizza party, and district Olympics. In addition, State 4-H Cabinet positions are elected during Congress. This is a WONDERFUL event for TEENS ONLY. I hope you will consider going. (As a 4-H'er myself, I met people and made lifetime friends at Congress that I continued to keep in touch with in college and beyond.) Go, go, go!!!

Holiday Lake Forestry Camp

Holiday Lake Forestry Camp will be held June 15-20, 2009, at Holiday Lake 4-H Education Center within the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. Students ages 13-16 are eligible for this camp, which is coordinated by the Virginia Department of Forestry. Topics include: sustainable forest management practices, timber harvesting and reforestation, tree measurements and environmental protection. For more information visit: http://www.dof.virginia.gov/edu/camp.shtml . Please contact the Extension Office for an application. Camp sponsors pay $200; each camper pays $60.

High School Youth Conservation Camp at Virginia Tech

The annual Youth Conservation Camp will be held July 12-18, 2009, at Virginia Tech. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible for this camp, which is coordinated by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Topics include: lake ecology, fisheries management, forestry and wildlife issues, turfgrass management, land use planning, soils, agricultural best management practices, geology, shoreline erosion and stream morphology. If you have any questions or would like an application, please call the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District at (540)825-8591. Applications must be completed and submitted to the CSWCD by April 17th. Please contact kaci@vt.edu or call the Extension Office for an application. For this camp, the District pays $425 and each camper pays only $25! What an awesome opportunity!!!

Orange 4-H Goes Climbing

Are you between the ages of 12 and 16? Are you feeling a little adventurous? Join us on April 15 as we travel to the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in Front Royal to tackle the Challenge Course!! The course consists of a low and high ropes course, ground initiatives, and other fun physical challenges. The entire course will be taught and monitored by certified instructors. The cost is $16.50 per person. The van will leave from the Extension Office at 7:45am on April 15th, and will return around 4:30pm. If you are interested please call the Extension Office quickly because there are limited seats, 540/672-1361.

Teen Outdoor Adventure Weekend to be Held

All 4-H teens are invited to participate in an Outdoor Adventure Weekend April 24-26, 2009. Teens will have fun learning leadership and participating in adventures such as rock climbing, caving, hiking, mountain boarding and GPS while camping in the Jefferson National Forest near Blacksburg. The group will camp in tents, but all gear is provided. Highly trained adults will lead this adventure. Participants will cook together, camp together, and sit around a real campfire nightly. Get to know teens from all across Virginia in this exciting new program. Cost is only $40 per participant, and some scholarship money is available. Registrations are due April 3rd. Contact the Extension Office for a brochure.

Host Families Needed for Japanese 4-H Youth

Here's a great way to travel internationally without ever leaving home: Host a Japanese 4-H member in your home this summer! Japanese youth ages 12-18 will visit the U.S. from the third week of July through the third week of August, and they need families to show them what life in the States is like! You do not have to do anything special; inbound delegates will live your daily life, eat your food, and participate in the activities that your family enjoys. Families do need to have a child the same gender and approximate age of the Japanese youth, but that's about the only requirement. If you are interested in opening your home to another culture and a great learning experience, please contact the Extension Office right away!

Virginia Tech Collegiate Host Weekend for High School Age 4-H'ers

Virginia Tech's Collegiate 4-H Club will hold their annual 4-H Host Weekend April 2-4, 2009. This event allows 4-H'ers who are high school students to visit the university, attend classes, and participate in get-to-know-you activities with 4-H Collegiate Club members. Collegiate Club members will provide housing and serve as hosts for all activities. This is a safe, fun way to learn about Virginia Tech and the college experience. Cost for the weekend is $70 and registrations are due March 16th. Contact the Extension Office if you wish to participate.

Weekend Fishing Camp at Holiday Lake

Youth from this area are invited to attend a weekend Fishing Camp, May 8-10, 2009, at Holiday Lake 4-H Center in Appomattox. The program starts with dinner on Friday evening, includes various workshops and fishing 'how-to's', as well as conservation and aquatic education, and concludes just before lunch on Sunday. It's Mother's Day weekend, so families are invited and encouraged to join the camp for breakfast Sunday morning. Contact the Extension Office for a copy of the brochure, or call Tamara Arrington at 434-248-5444 for more information.