Thursday, January 30, 2014

Virginia Forestry Camp

Do you know any youth aged 13-16 who are interested in natural sciences?  Please consider nominating them to attend Holiday Lake Forestry Camp,  held June 16-21 at Holiday Lake 4-H Center near Appomattox.   Led by natural resource professionals, this residential camp provides field-based learning, skill development, and an introduction to natural resource careers.  All campers receive a substantial scholarship, keeping out-of-pocket costs low.  The nomination form and information can be found at www.dof.virginia.gov/camp  The nomination deadline is April 11.   Please contact Ellen Powell (ellen.powell@dof.virginia.gov) if you have questions.

If you are interested in going, or know someone who is, please contact the Extension office for the nomination process.

2014 Beekeeping Essay

The 2014 Beekeeping Essay contest has been posted, and the deadline is coming up quickly.  This essay contest is sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc and Virginia 4-H.  The deadline for applying is February 10.  Cash prizes are awarded to the top 3 winners in the state and the state winner goes on to compete nationally.
The topic for the essay this year is "Beekeeping in Colonial Times."
     - To the earliest European settlers in the New World, honey bees were an important part of their existence. Cargo manifests show that honey bees were among the first shipments of animals. How were they shipped? Why were they important? Why were they so important to the colonist? How does this differ from today?
More information, judging criteria, and entry rules are located here.

Dressage Fix-A-Test at VT

The Virginia Tech Dressage Team will be hosting a Fix-A-Test with Harriet Peterson on March 1st in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech campus. Attached is the entry form and prize list. This is open to both Virginia Tech students and the community. Each rider will get 20 minutes to ride through, review and re-ride parts of their test. 
More information and an entry form is posted on the document library in the Blog Post Follow-up Information folder.  

Service Project Grants

Does your club have a cool service project idea that you are trying to get off the ground?  The Global Youth Service day and the Disney Friends for Change program is giving away grants of up to $1000 for youth led service projects that would take place on or around April 11-13, 2014 for the Global Youth Service Day.  This is a chance for kids and teens to turn awesome service ideas into reality, encourage young people to take the lead in their communities, and an opportunity for youth-focused groups and organizations to expand and scale up existing service projects.
The deadline to apply for this grant is Thursday, February 6.  For more information and to apply, visit the Disney Friends for Change website.

Fluvanna Hippology and Horse Bowl Contests

Fluvanna 4-H Colts & Fillies
Hippology & Horse Bowl Contests
Saturday, February 22, 2014

Open to all 4-H members, ages 9-19

PRE-REGISTRATION by 2/15/14 IS REQUIRED

Junior and Senior Divisions, awards for individuals and teams!

TIME: Registration begins at 9 AM, contest begins at 10 AM Hippology will go first with Horse Bowl starting after lunch

PLACE: Moss-Nuckols Elememtary School, 2055 Courthouse Road, Louisa VA 23093 (conveniently located near I-64, exit 143)

FEE: $15 per contestant for both contests, $10 per contestant for one contest

Lunch is available for $5 to contestants and all others, please let us know how many lunches you will need when you register.

Make checks payable to Treasurer of Virginia Tech, include Fluvanna Colts & Fillies in the memo line.  

Hippology will include slide identification, stations for identification of actual items that may include tack and equipment, bones, feeds, etc, a team problem, and a written exam.  The written exam may include multiple choice, true/false, matching, labeling diagrams, etc.

Horse Bowl will be played in double elimination format.

Contestants should bring a pencil, pen, and clipboard.

Please join us for a fun day of knowledge!  Last chance before Northern Districts!

For entries, questions, or more information please contact:
Aleta Strickland at agstrick@louisa.net or by phone at (540) 223-0837

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

4-H Northern District Horse Judging Clinic and Hippology Contest

The Northern District 4-H/FFA Horse Judging Clinic and Hippology contest will be held on March 1 at the Youth Development Center in Winchester, Virginia.
There will be a hippology contest that morning, followed by the judging and reasons clinic that afternoon.  It is open to all 4-H members with three age divisions- beginner (never having competed at a contest with a hippology team), junior, and senior.
Registration must be postmarked by February 21.

Registration forms can be found on the document library. 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Goat Club January Meeting Update

From Goat Club Member Momin Ali:

At the Goat Club we have different activities like picnics and field trips. We also have snacks and food tasting.  For our January  14, 2014 meeting  we tasted goat meat.  Goat meat is very popular in many countries but not many people in our club had tasted it.  So two dishes were cooked and brought in.  One was goat meat pulau (rice with goat meat).  The other dish was meatballs made out of goat meat.  Members who tasted it liked it.  Comments received: good, very tasty, excellent, I want more…
Looking forward to trying more new and exciting things.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

4-H Day at the Capitol

Reminder:  If you have not already confirmed with Sarah, she must know by 5 pm TODAY if you are planning on attending 4-H Day at the Capitol on February 11.  The State 4-H office gives out sweater vests to youth participants that attend, and they need the total today to be able to order them.
E-mail Sarah (seweaver[at]vt.edu) or call the extension office (540)672-1361.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Stockman's and Cattle Working Practice Dates Set

Mark your calendar! Winter/spring practice dates for Stockman's and Cattle Working have been set.  Returning team members were sent an email today, but new folks are always welcome.  Let us know if you would like the full schedule, or look to the calendar at right.  If you're a Google calendar user, you can subscribe to the Orange 4-H calendar and then you will always have the most current information!

The Stockman's team is open to members ages 9-18 who have a desire to learn about livestock and animal agriculture.  Beef, sheep, swine and meat goats are part of stockman's, and you learn about feeding, management, genetics, showing, health and more!  Livestock judging is the evaluation of live animals and you learn to give oral reasons to defend/explain your placings.  It's great experience for decision making and public speaking.

Cattle working contests are open to senior 4-H'ers; you must be at least 14 by September 30.  Teams three youth work three head of cattle, including ear tagging, vaccinating, deworming, and properly restraining and managing the cattle while in your care. Safety and quality are foremost.

If you desire more information or you want to join any of these groups, give the Extension office a call and we'll help you get started.  Contests are in March and/or April.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Glenwood Livestock Show

The rules for the 2014 Glenwood Park Livestock Exposition have been posted.  This is a beef and sheep show held in Loudoun County on Saturday, April 12.
Important dates to remember:  Beef entries are due to the Orange Extension office no later than February 10.  Sheep entries are due no later than March 10 to the extension office.
For the rules, how to register, and more information, please visit the document library and look under "Blog Post Follow Up Information."

Youth Swine Day Registration and Information

More information has been posted on the Youth Swine Day at Virginia Tech on February 22.  Registration will be $7 per person.
The registration link can be found here (http://www.apsc.vt.edu/extension/swine/youth-education-day/2014_youth_swine_day/14_ysd_registration_form_writeable.pdf).  Registrations must be postmarked by February 17.  If you are interested in going, please let the extension office know.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Natural Resource Education Weekend

Reminder- the deadline for registering for the Natural Resource Education Weekend is coming up quickly! The deadline to register is  Monday, January 14.
This is a weekend camp open to youth ages 9-19 and adult volunteers.  Workshop topics include Wildlife ID and tracks, GPS, Wildlife Trapping, Snakes, Intro to the Wildlife Habitat Education Program, Bat Conservation and Bat House building, and more!  Cost is $60 per participant.
For more information or to register, please visit the document library and look under the folder called "Blog Post Follow Up Information."

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Virginia Youth Livestock Leadership Forum

For anyone interested in attending the Virginia Youth Livestock Leadership Forum in Blacksburg, there's still time!  Registration has been extended until Monday, January 6.
This event is a state wide event that occurs every other year in Blacksburg.  It begins on Friday, January 10 at 6 pm where students can be a "Chef for a Night" and learn about meat cooking techniques, cuts of meat, and more.  Then the next day, Saturday, January 11, students participate in sessions such as learning about anesthesia, myths and facts of feed ingredients, a business etiquette luncheon at the Inn at Virginia Tech, learning about careers in veterinary science and livestock production and business, and then learning about different ways to be a leader.  Participants must be high school students.
The cost is $40 per participant and includes refreshments during breaks, the etiquette luncheon, and a participant gift.  Students can participate in Friday and Saturday, or Saturday only.
Visit www.ext.vt.edu;youthlivestock to register and for more information.