Virginia Tech Youth Swine Day

The Youth Swine Education Day is scheduled for Saturday, February 23^rd, 2013 at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena in Blacksburg, VA. This event is open to all youth and adults interested in swine and Pork Quality Assurance-Plus Certification. Additional information can be found on the 4-H Youth Livestock web site at www.ext.vt.edu/youthlivestock. For more information about this event, please contact Karen Park (kpark15@vt.edu) or Dr. Cindy Wood (piglady@vt.edu). Deadline for registration is Friday, February 15^th.

A flier for the event, a tentative schedule, and the registration form can be found here on the Orange 4-H document library under the blog post follow up section.

Livestock Club Supply Drive

The Livestock Club is participating in a community service project at their February meeting.  They are asking members to bring in supplies to help the Orange County Animal Shelter.

They need:

Clean Used Linens or Towels, Pillowcases, Baby Blankets, Sheets etc..

 *No King Sized Comforters (They are too big to put in the washing machine)

*No Electric Blankets, Plastic or Rubberized or Waterproof Mattress Covers.

  

Other Items they can use are...

Kitty Litter (any kind), Bleach, Laundry Detergent for HE machines only

Plastic Cat/Dog Toys

Soft Dog Treats

They can also use Canned Cat and Dog food, but another group is helping out with that so it is not critical.

Thanks for your help!

Orange Farm Bureau "Taking Pride in Agriculture" Scholarship

The Orange Farm Bureau "Taking Pride in Agriculture" Scholarship for seniors is now available.  To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be a senior in high school who has applied to college with the intent to major in an agriculturally related field.  The deadline for turning it in is April 1.
The application is posted on the document library under the "Blog Post Follow-Up" tab.

Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District Scholarships

The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District offers scholarships to graduating high school students, as well as current undergraduate and graduate college students who are interested in a career in the conservation field.  Awards are typically between $500 and $1000.   These scholarships are available for eligible students living in the five-county area the Culpeper SWCD serves, consisting of Culpeper, Greene, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties. For more information and the scholarship application check out their website, www.culpeperswcd.org.  The scholarship is due to them by April 12.  

State 4-H Volunteer Leader's Conference

The State 4-H Volunteer Leader’s Conference will be held in Virginia Beach on March 9^th and 10^th.  Registration forms must be postmarked by March 1^st to avoid a $15 late fee.  The theme for the conference is "4-H Leaders Light the Way."  Workshops include topics like Light Up Your Meetings and Programs, Science on a Shoestring Budget, Middle School Madness, Quick and Fun Rubber Stamping, Starting up a Robotics League, Garden Bees, Country Cured Ham Project, and a 4-H Club Account Update for anyone who would like to ask more questions.  
The hotel registration is due by February 8, with conference registration due to Virginia Tech by March 1.  There are scholarships available for first time attendees to the conference.  
The registration packet and more information can be found on the document library, under the "Blog Post Follow Up" section.

Horse Permit

Virginia horse owners have a new opportunity to travel with their horses throughout the southeastern United States for six months using the new Equine Interstate Event Permit (EIEP). Effective immediately, horse owners may elect to obtain the six-month passport in lieu of a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that is only good for 30 days.  Not all states accept this permit so make sure to do some background research if you are planning on traveling out of state. 

Horse owners may apply to obtain an Equine Interstate Event Permit from their accredited veterinarian. For each horse permitted, the owner must fill out and sign an application, present a Virginia origin Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or health paper/certificate, have a valid negative Coggins test, and be able to document microchip identification or provide three view digital photos of the animal. Owners also will need to demonstrate their ability to perform an abbreviated physical exam that includes taking each horse’s temperature. They will need to record that information on the horse’s travel itinerary with each interstate movement. 

            For more information about the Virginia equine passport application process, horse owners or veterinarians should contact VDACS’ Office of Veterinary Services at 804.786.2483. Horse owners and veterinarians may find additional information on the VDACS website at vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/eiep.shtml.

True Blue Cloverbuds February Meeting Time Changed

The February 12 meeting for the True Blue Cloverbuds will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the Orange Nursing Home.  Cloverbuds will have a party with the nursing home residents and present handmade Valentines.  Stay tuned for photos after the event!

Virginia Cooperative Council Youth Conference

Each spring, the Virginia Cooperative Council (VCC) sponsors an Institute on Cooperative Education, a youth leadership conference for up to 64 Virginia high school youth. The primary objective of this conference is to educate youth about the unique cooperative form of business. Through an interactive, educational, and entertaining conference, students will enhance their teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.  This year, the conference will be held April 5-7.

After learning about the history of the cooperative structure of business, students will play a computer based simulation, where they create their own businesses and make all the decisions with it.  At the end of the conference, winners are announced.  This year, there is a scholarship portion that goes along with winning, and the top eight participants get to the national cooperative conference.

This conference is held at Graves Mountain Lodge in Madison.  Enjoy the opportunity to meet new people, learn new things, and enjoy the all you can eat food!

The application is posted on the document library, here under the blog post follow up session along with a document with more information about the conference.  The application is due March 22.

Goat Club Members Start Training Pack Goats

Members of the Orange 4-H Goat Club took an inaugural hike with their goats this past weekend, with plans to eventually train pack goats.  They chose a hike in the mountains of Madison County and look forward to additional trips in the coming months.  Thanks to the goat club for sharing this new project with us!

Orange 4-H Members Garner Top Two Positions in Lightfoot Elementary Geography Bee

Congratulations!  We just heard that two Orange 4-H members one the Geography Bee at Lightfoot Elementary.  Abbie Gill took first place and will advance to the county contest.  Gini Bryington placed second.  Both girls have been active in 4-H since Cloverbuds at age 5, and we are proud of their school accomplishment 

Holiday Lake Forestry Camp

Like trees and being in the outdoors?  Then you may be interested in the Forestry Camp at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center that will be held June 17-22 for youth ages 13-16.  This camp is ideal for students who want to explore and experience activities in forestry and wildlife careers, to experience hands on learning about natural resource conservation, and for students who participate in forestry and wildlife judging teams, Envirothon competitions, or ecology clubs.  Classes are centered around topics such as sustainable forest management, forest ecology, reforestation and tree improvement, tree measurements, environmental protection, wildlife management, and tree identification.  Other learning experiences include a field trip to a local paper mill; urban forestry demonstrations; exploratory classes in topics such as forest fire equipment and tactics, wilderness survival, canoeing, archery, skeet marksmanship, and wood turning; and presentations by Conservation Police Officers, arson investigators, and wildlife researchers.  Campers will also participate in a Lumberjack Field Day with group competition in crosscut sawing, log rolling, and other traditional outdoor skills contests.

Campers are selected from nominations made by teachers, forestry and wildlife professionals, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, 4-H and Scout Leaders, and partner sponsoring organizations.  All students selected to attend Camp are awarded a $200 scholarship towards the cost of attending Camp such as food, facilities, and activity materials. Campers pay a $75 registration fee to confirm their attendance and acceptance of the scholarship.

Students must be nominated in order to participate, so if you are interested in going, or know someone who may be, have them contact the extension office!  You can also visit this website for more detailed information.

4-H Camp Counselor Applications

4-H Camp Counselor applications are ready for you!  Are you a teen who is a positive role model and enjoys working with children ages 9-13, like to have fun and help others, and want to become better leaders and improve your skills for the future?  If so, then consider applying to be a 4-H Camp Counselor at the 2013 Orange-Madison 4-H Camp at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in Front Royal.  Camp dates this year are June 16-20.  The camp fee for camp counselors is $125, but some scholarships are available for those with financial need.  Camp teen counselors must have been 14 by January 1st of 2013 and must be in ninth grade or higher.
Applications are available in the extension office, in the Main Office of OCHS, and here on the document library.  The applications are due back to the extension office no later than Thursday, January 31.  You must have three references that are not related to you fill out the form that is in the application and have them return it to us.  You will also need to sign up for an interview time on either February 8 or February 13.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the extension office at 672-1361 or e-mail Kaci at kaci[@]vt.edu.

Modeling of Infectious Disease Summer Internship

Interested in science, math, computers, infectious diseases, and the environment?  The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute in Blacksburg offers a week long summer internship program for high schoolers to show students the fun and excitement of scientific research.  While at this week long session, students have the opportunity to participate in research activities, tours, and a discussion and lecture series with renowned scientists all while discovering more about genomics and the environment in a professional laboratory setting. The program date is from July 8-12, and the deadline to apply is May 3.  For more information visit this website: http://highschool.vbi.vt.edu/application.php.

Glenwood Livestock Expo

Rules and entry forms for the Glenwood Livestock Expo are now posted on the Document Library- here under the "Livestock" tab called "Glenwood Rules 2013."  The rules and entry forms are all in one document.  Beef entries are due to the Orange Extension office by 5 pm on February 1st, and sheep entries are due to the extension office by 5 pm on March 1st.  All entries must be complete with all required signatures at that time or risk paying a late fee.
Any questions, give the extension office a call!

Beekeeping Essay Contest

The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees sponsors a yearly essay contest that offers cash prizes to its winners.  The topic for this year is:

“Reducing the Usage of Bee-Killing Pesticides in my Community”

Pesticides are a fact of modern life, but misuse or overuse of pesticides, or making poor choices when selecting and applying pesticides can be devastating to honey bees and other pollinators.  The 4-H’ers are encouraged to learn about bee-killing pesticides being used in their communities – by homeowners, businesses, or farmers.  Then, they should investigate how the impact of those pesticides on honey bees can be lessened.

The scope of the research is an essential judging criterion, accounting for 40% of your score. The number of sources consulted, the authority of the sources, and the variety of the sources are all evaluated.
Personal interviews with beekeepers and others familiar with the subject are valued sources of information and should be documented. Sources, which are not cited in the endnotes, should be listed in a “Resources” or “Bibliography” list.

For ideas, go to http://honeybeepreservation.org. to see last year's submissions and winners.  

Rules:

1. Contest is open to active 4-H Club members only.  4-H’ers who have previously placed first, second or third at the national level are not eligible; other state winners are eligible to re-enter.
2. Requirements (failure to meet any one requirement disqualifies the essay) –

·         Preparation for National Judging:  ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ONLY, double spaced, 12-pt. Times or similar type style, following standard manuscript format.  Submit as a Microsoft Word compatible document.

·         Write on the designated subject only.

·         All factual statements must be referenced with bibliographical-style endnotes.

·         A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including date of birth, gender, complete mailing address, and telephone number, must accompany the essay.

·         Length – the essay proper: 750-1000 words.

·         The word count does not include the endnotes, the bibliography or references, nor the essayist’s biographical sketch – which should be on a separate page.

3. Essays will be judged on (a) scope of research – 40%; (b) accuracy – 30%; (c) creativity – 10%; (d) conciseness – 10%; and (e) logical development of the topic – 10%.
4. Essayists should forward essays to the state judging team postmarked by February 4, 2013.  The winner of the state contest will be forwarded to the national competition before March 1.
5. The state winner will be announced on March 1, 2013 and the National Winner will be announced by May 1, 2013. 
6. All National entries become the property of the Foundation and may be published or used as it sees fit.  No essay will be returned.  National winning essays will be posted at:  http://honeybeepreservation.org.

7. Email state entries to:

                  safishe3@vt.edu

                  In the subject line:  VA. 4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest

                  All entries received will be promptly acknowledged; if you have not                                   received an acknowledgment after 3 business days, please resubmit.

If you have any questions or want more information, contact the extension office!

4-H Statewide Teen Weekend

Interested in meeting teens from across the state of Virginia, learning about opportunities in 4-H, and meeting the state 4-H cabinet?  The Statewide Teen Weekend will be held February 13-15 at the W.E. Skelton 4-H Center at Smith Mountain Lake.  You will have the opportunity to learn about opportunities in 4-H at local, state, and national levels, participate in different workshops, participate in the Reality Store, and work with the cabinet on a community service project to help children in need.  Saturday morning will consist of workshops where you have the choice to take classes like Healthy Snacks, Smart Apps, Wacky Science, Zumba, and Smoothie Wars.  There will also be a semi-formal dinner and dance on Saturday night.
The cost for the weekend is $90.00 and includes all meals and lodging.  If you're interested, contact the extension office for registration information.  Registration must be in Blacksburg on February 4th and space is limited to the first 100 4-Hers who sign up.