2016 National Ag Day Essay Contest

Calling all high school students who are passionate about agriculture!  The Agriculture Council of America is sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate National Ag Day on March 15, 2016.  Participants can submit an original, 450-word essay or a two-minute video essay about the importance of agriculture.  This year's theme is "Agriculture- Stewards of a Healthy Planet" and the deadling is January 29, 2016.  You could win $1,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C.!
This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 for the 2015-2016 school year.
For more information, visit http://agday.org/media/pr5.php

4-H Online Enrollment Deadline February 1 for those planning to show at the 2016 Orange County Fair

While home on break, have you made sure you're fully enrolled on 4-H Online?!? There's a grace period this year until February 1, but after that all members planning to show at the Orange County Fair will need to be enrolled by January 1. Don't delay! We need your enrollments and it doesn't take long! If you need computer access, you're welcome to come by the Extension Office during business hours. http://va.4honline.com
If you need instructions on how to enroll or reenroll, check out this blog post: http://ocva4-h.blogspot.com/2015/10/4-h-enrollment-and-reenrollment-for.html

Bit N Bridle's Success at Northern District Judging Contest

Congratulations to members of the Bit N Bridle club on their success at the Northern District Judging Contest on Saturday, December 19 at the Fauquier County Fairgrounds.
Six club members participated in the Virginia 4-H Northern District Horse Judging Contest.  Thanks to all the great volunteer people and volunteer horses- it was a fun day!  Even though it was a very chilly judging morning, we are very proud of the junior and senior teams- they did a great job of observing the horses and talking their reasons.

The senior team was made up of Charlotte Manvell, Matthew Miller, Emily Wright, and a visiting member, Savannah.  The senior team placed 4th overall, 4th in Halter, 5th in Performance, and 3rd in Reasons.  Senior individuals placed as follows: Halter- 10th place, Savannah; Performance- 6th place Charlotte, 1st place Emily; Reasons- 1st place Charlotte; Overall- 7th place Emily, 3rd place Charlotte.

The junior team was comprised of Alayna Schoenberger, Cora Hoemann, and a visiting member from Rockingham, Carrie.  The junior team placed 2nd overall, 2nd in Halter, and 1st in Performance.  Junior individuals placed as follows: Halter- 6th place Carrie, 5th place Cora; Performance- 2nd place Carrie, 1st place Cora; Overall- 3rd place Carrie and 1st overall was Cora Hoemann!

Congratulations and great job to all members who participated in this event!

Farm Credit's Farm Management Institute- Session in Culpeper, February 2016

Farm Credit holds a class called the Farm Management Institute each year.  On Thursday, February 18 from 9 am- 4pm, there will be a session nearby in Culpeper at The Country Club of Culpeper.  This year's content and lecture will be relevant to those who are lifelong learners, including young farmers, potential young farmers, parents, FFA students, and those continuing or expanding their farming operations.  Dr. Dave Kohl and Dr. Alex White will provide insight, materials, and techniques to enhance your growth and success in agriculture.
Topics covered will be:
- Global and domestic economics including marketing news and trends
- Financial and business management and transition planning
- Communication with family, business partners, and the general public

There is no cost to attend!  For more information, call the Farm Credit office in Orange at (540)672-3644.

2016 Virginia Horse Festival Information

VIRGINIA HORSE FESTIVAL DETAILS:

Date: Friday, April 1 - Sunday, April 3, 2016

Venue: The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, VA

Times: Friday 11am - 8pm, Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday 9am-5pm

Overview: Friday, April 1st, kicks off a three-day equestrian event promoting all aspects of the equine industry for the horse owner and enthusiast. The weekend will include an indoor trade show in the 64,000 square foot climate controlled Farm Bureau Center exhibition hall. Vendors will represent a wide spectrum of horse industry supplies and services from boots to feed, clothing and art and everything in between. The festival grounds will be teeming with outdoor vendors specializing in products such as trailers, barn construction, arena footing, fencing, and of course delicious food. The scheduled demos, clinics and seminars will educate and entertain.  Please visit the event website for more details and ticket prices. Some information on the site is from last year but it will give you a great idea of what to expect for 2016!

Event Website: www.VirginiaHorseFestival.com

Event Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VirginiaHorseFestival

Horse Deworming Strategies Lesson at the VT Mare Center, January 23, 2016

Youth ages 14-19 are invited to attend a FREE, Deworming Strategies lesson, Saturday January 23, from 9 am - 3 pm, at the MARE Center in Middleburg.  Presented by Carrie Swanson, Albemarle Co. Extension Agent, youth will learn about internal parasites of the horse, different methods of diagnosing and controlling parasites, conduct fecal egg counts and analyze data through this STEM-related hands-on lesson. Participants will have time to begin organizing information about the findings of their study, and will be encouraged to create a display for the Agriscience Poster Contest held in the fall at the Virginia State Fair. Limited spaces available. Lunch is provided. Sponsored by The Virginia Horse Industry Board. Email Sandy Arnold at horse4h@vt.edu to register by January 18.

4-H Day at the Capitol February 16, 2016

4-H Day at the Capitol is approaching quickly!  This year, the event will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2016.  This is an AWESOME event for 4-Hers to attend as it provides opportunities for 4-Hers to learn more about state government, meet local legislators, and encourage civic engagement (that citizenship part of Character Counts!).  Members will have the opportunity to meet with the local legislators in their offices; talk with them about what it is like to be a state lawmaker and the impact that they have on their local communities; explore the state capitol building; and be an overall fantastic ambassador for Orange County 4-H!  We are at a great advantage for participating in this awesome event since we live so close to Richmond!

We have participated every year and the lawmakers always love to see us when we come visit.  They are always impressed by the knowledge that the 4-Hers possess about the lawmaking process and everything that they have learned in 4-H.  They will also tell you that one of the most important things that they have learned and have to use is parliamentary procedure! 

This event is recommended for older junior and senior 4-H members as it is an early morning and then there is a lot of walking and waiting (sometimes we are in line to meet with the lawmakers as they normally have other meetings that they have to attend or constituents to meet with.)  4-Hers who attend this trip need to be prepared to share their 4-H story and come with questions and be ready to talk with the legislators.  The legislators love to answer questions and hear what you have to say!

As in years past, 4-H members who have not attended State 4-H Day at the capitol in the past three years will be eligible to receive a 4-H vest that is to be worn that day.  Due to having to have these vests ordered in time for the Capitol Day, if you have not attended before and would like to go the Extension Office must know if you are planning to attend no later than January 15.  If you have attended before and would like to go again this year, you will need to let the Extension Office know by February 1st.

Virginia Shepherds' Symposium- January 9, 2016

Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Sheep Producers Association will be hosting the Virginia Shepherds’ Symposium on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena in Blacksburg, VA. This one-day program is open to all sheep producers from the region and provides an educational opportunity for producers, educators and other professionals in sheep and related agribusiness industries.  The adult program will feature excellent speakers on a variety of topics, and commercial exhibitors will also be present.

This year, we will feature a Young Shepherds’ Symposium that will run concurrently with the adult sessions. These youth activities will be hands-on and interactive. All 4H and FFA youth of all experience levels are welcome to attend. Topics will include sessions on Selection/Genetics, Nutrition, and Reproduction.

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. A brochure with more information and registration form can be found on the document library in the "Blog Post Follow Up" folder.

State Fair of Virginia Scholarship Applications Now Available

The addition of the 2015 SFVA Sale of Champions has provided the opportunity to offer additional scholarships to the 2015 Youth Livestock exhibitors.  For the 2015 State Fair of Virginia, they are able to offer a total of $12,680 in additional scholarships. These scholarships will be broken out into Junior, Intermediate, and Senior divisions, and are open to only those exhibitors that participated in the 2015 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock shows.

In the document library, in the "State Fair Scholarship" folder, you will find more information as well as the applications  . There are separate applications for each division, as well as two different file extensions for your use. Please make sure you use the correct form. The divisions are based on the division in which you participated in at the 2015 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows. These applications can be typed or hand-written.

The SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS must be postmarked byJANUARY 15, 2016, to be considered.

The scholarship applications can also be found on the State Fair of Virginia website at www.statefairva.org. If you have any questions, please contact Glenn Martin atgmartin[at]meadoweventpark.com or 804/994-2858.

Wonderful Summer Opportunity! Governor's School for Agriculture

Applications are now available for the summer Governor's School for Agriculture.  Visit the Department Of Education's website:http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/index.shtml

Each local participant who has attended has reported a wonderful experience! We hope some Orange 4-H youth will be interested. 

The Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School for Agriculture (GSA) at Virginia Tech provides academically rigorous educational enhancement for future scientists and leaders of Virginia, the United States, and the world. GSA students interact with and learn directly from internationally known teachers, scientists, and researchers from Virginia Tech, a leading research university. Students attending the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School for Agriculture at Virginia Tech will be selected from the most able rising juniors and seniors from the Commonwealth's public, private, and home schools.  http://www.alce.vt.edu/governors-ag-school/index.html

Poinsettias are Ready to be Picked Up!

The poinsettias truck has been unloaded and orders sorted, so we're ready for families to pick up poinsettias anytime until 6:30 p.m. today! See you soon!